The Fallout Zone
by Kyandi-Akatensei
Summary: In a world where 80% of the population is gifted with quirks, there are those gifted with quirks that make them center stage. Halyn Leander isn't one to let her quirk force her into the lime light. That being said, she's not above raising a little hell in everyday life. Say hello to the hell raiser of UA.
1. Transfer Student

_**Summary:**_ In a world where 80% of the population is gifted with quirks, there are those gifted with quirks that make them center stage. Halyn Leander isn't one to let her quirk force her into the lime light. That being said, she's not above raising a little hell in everyday life. Say hello to the hell raiser of UA.

Author Note: Hello, everyone! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Kyandi Akatensei. Just call me Kyandi-sama! For those of you who do know me, welcome to another of my stories. I've been branching out lately into various of different types of animes. When I came across My Hero Academia, well...I lost it. My first thought was of how much the anime reminded me of the movie Sky High. Which, if it isn't obvious, is a favored movie of mine. And then I saw the arrangement of awesome characters and I couldn't help coming up with another characters. And thus, Halyn was born. So, yeah, compliments are greatly adored, constructive criticism is welcomed, but please...don't flame me. I've only just begun to gain a sense of confidence. I'd like to protect it if possible. Next chapter I'll start with my usual character interactions, so please, enjoy and review. I do not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 1 Transfer Student

 _It all began in Keikei City in China with the news that a bio-luminescent baby was born. After that "exceptional" individuals began popping up all over the world. The cause was unclear. Time passed and the "exceptional" became the norm. Fantasy became reality._

 _At present, eighty percent of the world's population consists of super-humans with special abilities. The world is in chaos. And a profession that everyone once only dreamed about, entered the spot light._

 _Along with the exceptional abilities came an explosion in the crime rate. While nations struggled to overhaul their legal systems, brave individuals took up the mantle of heroes straight out of the comic books, protecting the people from evildoers. With public support, some quickly acquired the right to serve as heroes in an official capacity._

 _Depending on their performance, they have the potential to earn government pay. Fame and glory._

And that was what lead several to the location that Midoriya Izuku currently found himself in.

It was only the first week of school, just the third day in class, and already he was feeling the pressure. After the mock tag team battles from the day before, the whole class had a pretty good understanding of each other and their abilities, just as their teachers did. Day three started, though, with an announcement that none of them had been expecting.

"So, yeah...we have a new student joining our class today."

It was the first thing Aizawa said to them after taking roll. Several of them had noticed the addition of another desk to the classroom when they had walked in, but no one had said anything.

"A new student, after only two days?" Yaoyorozu asked from her desk at the back of the room.

"It's a foreign transfer student. She took the entrance exam at a sister facility in Italy and only just arrived in the country yesterday." Aizawa replied back idly.

A knock on the door had them all focusing in on it. Of course, in a school where there wasn't really anything like "mid year transfers", it was strange and attention catching for a student to pop into the class after the official start of the year. Especially since the hero course was just two classes that was suppose to be comprised of only twenty students. Whoever the transfer student was, they had to be some kind of impressive big wig to have the school changing things in order to add her to the hero course without removing anyone already there.

While the students thought this over, Aizawa answered the door, sticking his head out to talk to whoever it was on the other side. There was a short conversation before Aizawa turned back to face the class.

"Class, meet your new classmate...Leander Halyn."

The girl that walked into the classroom was, indeed, eye catching. She stood about five and a half feet tall, making her just a little under an inch taller than Midoriya. She was thin with curves of a woman much older, and very pretty. Her waist length hair was a pale blue, like that of frozen water and was worn in a half up, half down fashion that left her chin length bangs as the only hair around her face. Those bangs were parted to the right to hang over her right eye. Her face was slender with full lips pulled into a smile, a straight nose and wide eyes of a deep purple color.

She wore the school uniform with the tie loose, the first two buttons undone, the skirt on the shorter side, the shirt untucked and the blazer left open, and paired it with white, thigh-high stockings, black gloves, and black boots. Eyes, though just for a moment, instantly zeroed in on her skirt from under which sprouted a feline-like, pale blue tail with a furry tip. Over all, she was pretty and, despite the tail, looked like any none mutant-type human.

But it was the way in which she entered the class that made the students stare.

The girl walked into the class with a natural sway to her hips, her eyes directed straight ahead, her chin high, and her shoulders set straight. She walked like a girl who knew she was the hot gossip, her posture brimming with self confidence while her smiling expression suggested that she didn't notice, or care, that she had all eyes glued to her. She came to a stop beside Aizawa, one hip junting out while she grasped her bag with both hands behind her back.

"Leander comes to us from Rome and is new to Japan." Aizawa told them turning to the girl at his side. "Say something."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Please call me Halyn." she said politely, her accent rolling some of her letters. She bowed slightly to the class and gave them all a bright smile.

"Very good, now take your seat. You'll be sitting behind Todoroki." Aizawa told her.

"Yes sir." Halyn replied.

Halyn slipped between the desks, taking her seat at the very back of the classroom. As she sat, her tail curled around her waist, making sure that she didn't sit on it. Once she was seated and the class's attention had returned to Aizawa, class was started. The regular morning classes passed pretty much the same as they always did. Each teacher made it a point to call on the new student, testing to see what she knew.

The girl was pretty decent, though she excelled in foreign languages. Kind of fitting of someone who came from a country where today's youngsters spoke several different languages, including English. When afternoon classes rolled around and All Might took over for combat training, Halyn seemed just as thrilled about being able to put on her costume as any other student would be. When she came out to join the rest of the class, all eyes became glued on her.

After the debut of the R-rated Hero, Midnight, whose outfit had left little to the imagination, regulations on just how much skin could be revealed by a costume, had come into play. It only took one look at Halyn in her costume for them all to know one fact.

Halyn was flirting with the line between what was acceptable and what wasn't.

She came strolling out in nothing more than a strapless, bra-like top and high rise, panty-like bottoms, both in a royal blue, with a sleeveless, cropped, black hoodie worn over them. A black belt was strapped around her waist with knives, a pole of some sort, and pouches strapped to the back and belt like straps decorated each bicep. She had added fingerless, royal blue gloves, thigh-high silver stockings, and knee high boots that were nothing more than straps on the sides and back. To top it off, she had covered the top half of her face with a royal blue mask.

Despite the revealing nature of the outfit, she strolled out to join the rest of the class as if she had no issue with it at all, her tail swaying happily. Mineta had a field day upon seeing her, his eyes going wide. In fact, all of the boys turned to look at her as she joined them.

"Don't you think that's a little too..."

"Little?" Halyn asked, finishing Jiro's sentence for her.

"Yeah." Jiro confirmed.

"You know, without the hoodie, yeah, but I'm pretty comfortable in this and it falls within the limits of the costume regulations. Not to mention that, with my quirk, it has it's uses." Halyn replied.

Before anyone could begin to question her on what her quirk was, exactly, All Might approached

the class then, to explain what they would be doing for the class. Halyn, a grin on her face, jammed her hands into the pockets of her hoodie.

"Today we will be testing your ability to think on your feet against real life enemies in a game of Capture the Flag. You can go at it alone, or in teams of two or three. You will have the duration of the class to capture as many of your classmate's "flags" as you can. You will be graded on your performance as well as how many flags you manage to capture and lose." All Might explained to them.

It wasn't the most difficult objective they had been given in class, but it would be challenging. Especially when they were granted the permission to use their quirks in any way they could. Halyn's gears were already turning, her eyes scanning the mock city beyond them that would serve as their battlefield of sorts.

"Leander-chan!" Halyn perked up, her tail giving one idle flick, before she turned to see who had called her. Uraraka, with Midoriya behind her, approached Halyn, a smile on her face. "Would you like to team up with us?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll go at this alone. I want to be able to observe as well as participate, and that's difficult to do if I'm with a team." Halyn said honestly, not the least bit concerned with announcing her intentions.

She gave Uraraka and Midoriya a smile before turning back to look at the mock city. There were several high points, but also a lot of low points. Plenty of places to lie in wait and plenty of places to ambush from. She could definitely have a wide range of fun with this location as she got a feel for her classmates and their range of quirks. The thought put a smile on her face.

All Might passed out the "flags" they would be using, which was just basically tie-on headbands of a bright red. They were allowed to tie it anywhere on the body, but they had to use a certain knot that All Might showed them for tying it. To make it easier for others to take them. Halyn took hers and stared at it. Where on her body could she tie it that she would always be aware of it without having to consciously remind herself every second?

Then it hit her.

Halyn's tail gave a happy flick, but she was pulled from her thoughts when All Might announced that he was going to give them all ten minutes to find themselves a starting point. After those ten minutes, the race to snag other flags would begin. He called a start to the ten minute time limit and retreated to the observation room while they ran to find the perfect spot. Since the students had full rein to use their quirks, Recovery Girl was already waiting in the observation room. Even Aizawa was there, ready to observe the students and their progress.

A simple push of the button brought the many screens sprawled throughout the area, to life. From one angle or another, they could see almost every student in the class. A few, though, like Toru, were really well hidden, escaping sight from their fellow classmates, as well as their teachers. Among that number of well hidden students, was Halyn. The girl had already vanished among the city. All Might had already seen a bit of how the other students thought and worked, and was curious to see how Halyn handled herself.

When the ten minutes ran out, students started moving. It wasn't long before some of the faster and stronger members of the class, Bakugo and Todoroki among them, started snagging other flags, adding them to a slowly growing collection around their necks. After only ten minutes of play time, every member of the class came out of hiding, the mock city becoming a chaotic battleground.

Every member, but one.

Halyn.

No matter how many screens All Might studied, he could find no trace of Halyn. Wherever the girl had hidden, she had hidden well and hadn't come out yet. That, or she had a quirk similar to Toru's, which could work to her advantage in a game like this one.

Then he saw it.

It was just a brief flash of blue across the screen, heading right for Mineta and Sero, who were arguing and kicking up quite a racket. And then the two boys were on their faces, Halyn sitting on their backs. She snatched their flags and bolted, easily bouncing from one place to another until she was on the roof, then she was deftly jumping from roof to roof. It was as she was running away that All Might, Aizawa, and Recovery Girl finally saw where Halyn had tied her flags. Reaching behind her while her eyes continued to constantly search the area around her, Halyn tied the flags she had just stolen...to her tail.

"It's a clever idea." Recovery Girl commented. "Whether her tail is apart of her quirk or not, she would always subconsciously be aware of it and anyone or anything that could cause it harm or attack it."

"By tying the flags to the base of her tail, she is always constantly aware of them. Not to mention that some of the other students would be hesitant on reaching for the flags when they are that close to her backside." Aizawa said.

They watched the screen as Halyn dropped out of sight between two buildings. She reappeared a moment later, stealthily peeking out around a corner, her body low to the ground and her purple eyes constantly scanning the area while her tail flicked in anticipation behind her. In that moment, she managed to look like a cat that was out on a prowl. Then her eyes landed on their next target.

Kirishima.

A grin curled her face and, like a cat, her whole body froze on the spot, the bottom half of her body lifting just a little bit more into the air as she prepared to ambush him. Kirishima obviously didn't see her. He was scanning the area, but he, somehow, managed to over look Halyn. Which would be his undoing in this game. The moment his back was to her, Halyn's tail flick once, and then she was rocketing forward, like a pouncing cat.

Poor Kirishima went down before he even knew what hit him.

A yelp of surprise left him as Halyn hit him squarely, just below the shoulder blades. The suddenly addition of her weight was enough to send his body swaying forward and off its feet. Next thing Kirishima knew, he was face first on the ground, a foot on the back of his head, keeping him in place.

"Thank you~!" came a sing song voice before his flag was ripped from its place around his neck.

Then Halyn sprang off him, vanishing down a darken alley between two building before he could react. For the most part, every time Halyn came across someone she wanted to steal a flag from, it was the same kind of attack. She would lay in wait, watching patiently for her opening, and would attack swiftly and precisely, vanishing once more before her surprised opponent had the chance to counter-attack. Before the game had hit twenty-five minutes, Halyn had gathered a total of four flags, including her own.

Then she came across an opponent that would be more difficult to take by surprise. Halyn, who had managed to squeeze her generous figure in a space that was about a third her size, came across Todoroki as he was walking down a back street, his eyes constantly surveying his surroundings. Halyn watched him patiently, her eyes never leaving him. As she watched him, the top half of her body sank low to the ground, her tail curling over her back as she froze in the position.

It was only a brief window, not bigger than a breath, in which he turned his back to her, but Halyn took it, and took it swiftly. She exploded out from her hiding space and was already just inches behind him by the time Todoroki realized that someone was breathing down his neck. He whipped around, wide eyed in surprise, but Halyn had already hit him, taking him off his feet. She rolled with him as he hit the ground, and quickly sprang away from him as ice sprang to life from his right hand. Another jump carried her to the nearest rooftop.

Todoroki quickly got to his feet, rounding on the roof top, but Halyn was already sprinting away...carrying two of his flags with her. It was in that flight that Halyn finally drew attention to herself and it was attention she would have been better not drawing.

Halyn had just jumped across a gap between two roofs when, out of the side of her eyes, she became alerted to a fast approaching opponent from her right. She landed, but instead of running, her knees bent a little further and she waited a breath until a hand was reaching for her face. Then she sprang directly into the air, the strength of her legs rocketing her a good twenty feet up. Looking down, she looked into the surprised face of Bakugo.

Surprise quickly turned to annoyance, as he twisted to change directions. It was in that moment that Halyn reached back, pulling a blade off the back of her belt. She gave a yank, the sunlight catching on the wire attached to the end of the blade, before she threw it, the blade burying itself deep into the side of a taller building across the street. Thinking she had screwed up or something, with a blast from his left palm, he sent himself rocketing towards her.

Halyn had other plans. She gave a yank on the wire connected to the knife and a whirling noise reached Bakugo's ears before some kind of mechanism in her belt, started reeling the wire back in, yanking Halyn out of Bakugo's way and towards the building she had thrown the knife at. Halyn hit the building feet first, kicking off to swing herself up and onto the roof. Another pull of the wire and the knife came free, Halyn catching it.

Bakugo wasn't giving up that easily. He had five flags and Halyn had six of the remaining sixteen. He had been following Todoroki up until she had attacked him and taken two of his flags. With those two missing, Todoroki had been reduced to just one. That left nine more somewhere in play, but, at the moment, Bakugo was sure that Halyn had the most.

Halyn wasn't going to let herself be captured so easily. Especially when Todoroki joined the fray, seeking to reclaim the flags she had stolen from him.

Both of the boys landed on the roof with her in their pursuit of her flags. Halyn's head whipped back and forth as she, herself, took in the two boys now facing her. Instead of expressing concern, though, a grin curled her lips. She jumped into the air, to avoid Todoroki's ice, and another throw of the knife and yank of the wire, pulled her up to the next roof and out of the way of Bakugo's attack. The two boys followed her, Halyn remaining crouched, her eyes intent on the two in front of her.

"She's very clever." Recovery Girl remarked as they watched the screens.

"She's nimble and patient. Not impatient and rash like young Bakugo." All Might agreed.

"But what is her quirk?" Aizawa mused.

"It doesn't say in her file?" All Might asked.

"No. I have her results from her entrance exam, but even in that, she didn't noticeably use a quirk. Though, notes from the exam judges said that she was out of sight for most of the exam. The only time they caught sight of her was when she finally attacked." Aizawa replied.

"Didn't she have official recommendations?" Recovery Girl asked.

"She did?" All Might asked.

"Yeah. Her parents were both well known heroes in her home country. The best team the country ever saw. Not to mention, she excelled all through middle school, but she chose to take the exam, to get in under her own power rather than by the recommandations of someone else." Aizawa answered.

It was a bit naive, but it was honorable as well. Aizawa could see and appreciate that. When he had read Halyn's file, he had been mildly impressed and intrigued. The girl had been the top of her grade since fourth grade. Before that, her scores, rather it was academically or athletically, had been sub-par, at best. Whatever had changed between third and fourth grade, Halyn had preformed a completely one-eighty, her grades improving and her potential as a hero, sky rocketing.

Now, he was watching as she dodged and avoided two people with confidence in every step she took. And it seemed that she was well aware that it took hard work to make it. Now the question they all had was...what the hell was her quirk?

Back out in the mock city, Halyn's eyes shifted from one boy to the other, her tail flicking idly. Bakugo looked...well, pissed off. His face was twisted in his annoyance. It was a shame really. Halyn was sure he would be good looking guy if he would relax and smile genuinely. At the moment, though, he was all eyes for her, a growl rumbling from his chest.

Todoroki, on the other hand, was watching the both of them. He wasn't going to relax his guard around Bakugo just because the explosive teenager was focused more on Halyn. Halyn's eyes scanned both, her mind working through one idea after another.

If she could get one to attack her, then, for a brief moment, the other would focus on him and not her. That would give her the opening she would need to avoid the attacker and escape the other. All she needed was a few seconds' head start and she would be good.

Now, which one could she provoke?

Duh!

Halyn turned her focus to Bakugo. She knew his type, was aware of what she could do to set him off, and all without saying a single word to him. So, she waited until his eyes met hers...and she grinned, her tail curling playfully. Bakugo twitched, his face twisting just a bit more. With one eye fixed on him, Halyn raised a hand and covered a fake yawn. It was as if she was saying that both of them were too boring to bother with.

And just like that, just as she planned, Bakugo exploded, launching himself at her. He roared in fury, ticked off with just that simple gesture.

But Halyn miscalculated.

Bakugo wasn't the only one to attack her.

Just as Bakugo attacked her, so did Todoroki. Halyn's eyes widened in surprise, but the grin on her face only grew.

This was even better than she planned!

Just as they were about to reach striking range of Halyn, she jumped. She sprang easily into the air, clearing their heads as they reached her. She landed deftly on Bakugo's shoulders and used him like a diving board to spring forward, knocking him into Todoroki. The two rolled apart when they hit the ground.

By the time they got their balance back and turned to look at her, Halyn was already three streets over, vanishing over the side of a roof top and carrying with her two of Bakugo's flags.

In the end, when time was called, Halyn came out the winner with eleven of the twenty-one flags tied to her tail. She stood in front of All Might as he pat her on the head with praise. Though she acted like it was nothing, the happy swaying of her tail betrayed her true feelings while waving the eleven flags in victory. The girls also sang their praises to Halyn who waved it away as if slightly embarrassed.

"I saw your stand off with Bakugo and Todoroki. That was so clever, getting them to attack you so you could jump over their heads and escape with two of Bakugo's flags." Uraraka said.

"Todoroki is the one with two hair colors, right?" Halyn asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, to be honest...I honestly didn't think he would attack, too. I originally had a completely different plan in mind." Halyn admitted.

Todoroki and Bakugo turned to look at her from where they stood a little ways away from her. Halyn was smiling sheepishly back at the girl, her tail curling.

"Seriously!? What was the original plan?" Jiro asked.

"Well, I had only intended to provoke one of them into attacking. Bakugo seemed like the one with a bigger sense of pride, so I was actually only aiming to prick **his** pride. I didn't take Todoroki as the type to easily have his pride wounded, so it kind of surprised me. Though, honestly, he's human, so I guess it makes sense that I kind of insulted him." Halyn remarked, sheepishly scratching one cheek as she smiled.

"And you went the whole time without using your quirk?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"All of my brothers are pro heroes and they've taught me that you can't always rely on your quirk. I've been trained in hand-to-hand combat since I was about eight years old, so now it's second nature to just resort to that over my quirk." Halyn replied.

Before anyone could start asking what her quirk was, All Might dismissed the class, and the girls split off from the boys to go to their locker room to change. Halyn was able to avoid all questions about her quirk after that.

In the end, she was able to escape school for the day without anyone ever finding out.

END

Author's Note: Here's the first chapter all done for you. As normally for me, when I start a new story, I like to post the first two or three chapters in one go. It gives people a bit of a chance to see if they'll keep reading or not. Hopefully you all decide to keep reading and leave me reviews. I thrive on reviews, so please do! I hope you continue to enjoy and review! I'll be back in a jiffy. Bye!


	2. Idols

Kyandi: I'm back, everyone! Okay, usually, this is how I start and end each of my chapters, for those of you still new to me and how I work. With me, I have my OC, Halyn. Say hello, Halyn.

Halyn: Hey, hey.

Kyandi: She's one of my nicer OCs, so, unlike the others, she doesn't tease me and treat me poorly.

Halyn: Yeah, we really got to work on your mental image if your characters are doing that to you, because, _il moroso_ , we all know...this is all in your head.

Kyandi: I know, I know. I'm working on it. Oh! Before I start the chapter, I have some news for all my old, and new, readers. This August, unless something else comes up, I will be going to AnimeFest in Dallas, Texas. I'm super excited and will be going dressed as my avatar and online persona, Kyandi Akatensei.

Halyn: It took a lot in order for her to be able to go and she's super happy.

Kyandi: Beyond happy, actually. So, for those of you in the area, or those of you planning to go, I'll be going on the third day, so hopefully I'll be able to meet some of you.

Halyn: She'll even have a little present for those of you who do get to meet her.

Kyandi: Got to give back to my loyal readers. After all, you guys are part of the reason I write. So, with that out of the way, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 2 Idols

Over the next few days, all of Halyn's teacher came to find that Halyn was very good at flying under the radar. While her grades were excellent, she tended to stick to the background, letting her classmates take the lime light. As the other students got use to her presence in class, it was like the girl escaped their thoughts. Most of the time, many people forgot she was there. The girls in the class were better at pulling Halyn into things, but even then, Halyn usually let the others do all the talking.

Of course, this drew the attention of the teachers to her, with concern that maybe she wasn't doing well in a foreign country, but Halyn waved off all concerns with a bright smile and went back to whatever she was doing beforehand. With their concerns waved off, they decided to leave it be. Before long, Halyn became a back burner thought to even the teachers.

Time passed that way as Halyn got use to her new home.

The current day found Halyn walking down the road to the gate of the school. As she neared the gate, she was suddenly bombarded by press. A persistent woman got right up in her face, holding a microphone in front of her, asking her what it was like to be taught by All Might. Halyn, being the daughter and little sister of big time heroes back in Italy, already knew how to deal with people like this. It was really rather simple.

She stuck a confused look on her face and...

" _Scusa, non parlo giapponese_."

Leaving the press stumbling to translate her Italian, she rushed on past them and through the school gate, a grin on her face. It always worked to play the dumb foreigner with press. Apparently, though, the news that All Might had become a teacher at the school, had the media in an uproar. For several days, Halyn had to wade through a vexatious crowd of news reporters. After the first time, though, they picked up that she was speaking Italian, so Halyn switched to her mother's native tongue, Icelandic.

It got her past them once more, though she didn't know what she was going to do the following day if they were still there, because she was pretty sure that at least a few of them could speak English. But she could think about that the next day. Leaving the press to be held up at the gate, she hurried off to class. Everyone was up and talking when she walked in and slipped to her desk in the very back.

Apparently there had been some kind of argument before she walked in about who knew her better, the guys or the girls. From what Halyn was able to gather, the two opposing groups decided that a single question about her would decide who knew her and who didn't. The question was decided by one of the only three neutral people in the class; Midoriya.

Midoriya looked to her for help, but, curious as to where this would go, Halyn pretended to be completely lost in a book. Seeing that he wasn't going to get any help from her, Midoriya just went with the first question he could think of. After all, if the others really paid attention to Halyn then they could answer the question. Those who couldn't answer it, didn't pay attention to her.

"What color are her eyes?" Midoriya asked. Those taking part in the argument, all turned to stare at him. "O-of course, you can't look at her."

It was obvious, instantly, that the boys didn't have the slightest clue, and with Halyn's face hidden behind a book, they couldn't sneak a peek anyway. Kaminari turned to Todoroki then.

"Come on, man, help us out!" Kaminari demanded.

"Why me?" Todoroki asked.

"You sit in front of her everyday! If anyone should know, it should be you." Kaminari reasoned.

But Todoroki had no more of an idea then they did. Just because he sat in front of Halyn, didn't mean he paid any attention to what color her eyes were. After all, he hardly ever turned her direction and when he did, she was usually facing away from him, or focused on a book.

"Seriously? We know what color her eyes are." Mina said.

"Really!? Then what color?" Kirishima asked.

"They're purple." all of the girls answered at once.

"You're kidding!" Kaminari said.

"Yeah, you girls sure?" Sero asked.

"One way to find out." Uraraka said before turning to Halyn. "Ha-chan, what color are your eyes?"

"Purple." Halyn answered, flipping a page in her book.

Izuku leaned over, trying to peer at Halyn's face. Halyn turned her eyes to him, lowering her book so he could see her face.

"The girls are right. They're purple." Midoriya announced.

All of the boys that had been in on the whole thing, groaned while the girls smiled. Halyn guessed that only girls could really know girls that quickly. It made her tail curl in amusement as she watched the boys sulk off to their desks. Aizawa made his appearance then to start class. Everyone took their seats, letting him call roll. When he was done, he moved on to the first order of business.

"Good work with yesterday's battle training. I've looked over your grades and evaluations. Bakugo." Bakugo looked up when Aizawa called his name. "I've said this before, grow up. Stop wasting your talent. You shouldn't have let Leander bait you like she did."

Bakugo turned a glare on Halyn, who gave him a smile in return, her tail curling behind her. This only made Bakugo click his tongue in annoyance as he turned back around and gave Aizawa a sour "Got it." in reply.

"Now, on to homeroom business...sorry for the sudden announcement, but today..." For a moment, most of the class tensed up as they automatically begun to pray it wasn't another of Aizawa's brutal pop quizzes. "You'll pick a class president."

"Such a normal school-like thing!" came the cheer.

Instantly most of the class begun to scramble to have Aizawa pick them. Halyn didn't have any interest in being the class president. She was comfortable remaining in the shadows of the class, though she was well aware that she was passing up on a good chance to stand out to recruiting agencies. In normal high schools, the position of class president was just a role of mundane tasks to add onto an already busy school life. A job that very few actually wanted.

At UA, however, the role was different. The class president in the hero course was the leader, seen as a person well suited for the position of top hero. A lot of agencies paid a lot of attention to class presidents over other students.

Once again, not a position appealing to Halyn.

She would display herself in other ways without having to have her whole class looking towards her in times of need. She just couldn't work the way she was use to, the way she wanted, if she had the whole class looking at her.

Apparently, Ida didn't agree with her.

"Leading the many is a task of heavy responsibility! But ambition does not equate to ability!" Ida said. Halyn couldn't exactly disagree with him there. "This sacred office demands the trust of it's constituents! If this is to be a democracy, then I put forward the motion that our true leader must be chosen by election!"

"But Ida, we haven't known each other long enough to build any trust." Tsuyu said, turning in her seat to look at him.

"And everyone'll just vote for themselves!" Kirishima added.

"That's precisely why anyone who manages to earn multiple votes will be the best-suited individual for the job!" Ida replied.

"I agree with him." All eyes turned to Halyn in surprise, Halyn smiling back at them. "Why so surprised? Come on, think about it. Do you really want someone picked that we, ourselves, don't somewhat agree upon? Not exactly a foundation to a strong and firm class, you know what I mean? Without a strong foundation, whatever is built upon it **will** come crashing down. He has a point, or...at least, I think so."

The others fell silent, seeing Halyn's point. Ida turned a grateful look on Halyn, thanking her for her support. Halyn replied with a wink.

"Will you allow this, sensei?" Ida asked Aizawa.

"However you do it, just make it quick." Aizawa replied, already snuggling up in his sleeping roll.

So they took a vote. Halyn, herself, ended up voting for someone else. If she ended up with any votes, it wasn't going to be by her own hand. Thankfully, she came out with no votes and Midoriya came out with the most, Yaoyorozu just behind him. Something that shocked Midoriya, who hadn't expected to get anyone else's votes. Bakugo wasn't happy either, but that was probably because he thought he should be class president and only had his own vote.

Ida was also upset.

"Zero votes...I thought as much! This is the harsh reality of this sacred office." Ida said, head hung.

"So you voted for someone else?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"You're the one who proposed an election. What exactly do you want, Ida?" Sato asked.

"I voted for someone else, too." Halyn remarked, making Yaoyorozu and Sato turned to her.

"But why?" Sato asked.

Halyn simply shrugged her shoulders, feeling no need to answer that question. She was sure that, eventually, her motives for everything she did, would come to life, but for now, she was going to keep it to herself. With the vote finished, Midoriya was declared their class president and Yaoyorozu was made their vice-president. After the vote, they moved on with their morning classes. When lunch was called, Halyn collected her books and got to her feet. She had just grabbed her wallet from her bag and turned...to find Todoroki right behind her.

Halyn blinked at him in surprise. She couldn't imagine what he could possibly want from her and had only got his name out in questioning before he leaned closer to her, tilting his head to look up at her face. Halyn leaned back away from him, unable to back away with her desk right behind her, her eyes spreading open wide in surprise.

 _What the hey is he doing!?_

Todoroki stared her in the eye for a moment before finally turning away, muttering lowly to himself as he headed for the door.

"So her eyes really are purple..."

Halyn blinked after him, dumbfounded for a moment. All that just because he was checking to see if the girls had been right about her eye color?

"Japanese boys are so strange." Halyn remarked lowly.

"Ha-chan!" Halyn looked up as Uraraka called out to her, waving a hand over her head. "Come eat with us!"

"Sure." Halyn agreed, smile on her face.

She quickly joined Uraraka, Midoriya, and Ida, the four of them heading for the lunch room. Halyn, as they entered the room, was once again hit with just how many students there were at UA. She quickly grabbed lunch with her classmates, the four finding seats at an already half full table. The conversation quickly turned to the class election.

"I'm just a little worried about whether or not I can really be class president." Midoriya said.

"You can." Uraraka said confidently.

"Worry not. Midoriya, your grit and decisiveness in a pinch make you perfectly suited to lead us all. That's why I voted for you." Ida admitted.

"But didn't you wanna be president too, Ida? You've got glasses and everything!" Uraraka said.

"I really don't think glasses is a trait you should be looking at when you pick a class president, Uraraka." Halyn piped in with a small laugh, Uraraka complaining that she wanted Halyn to call her by her given name.

"Again, ambition and suitability are different matters. I humbly made the choice I felt was correct." Ida said, while Halyn gave in and called Uraraka by her first name.

"Humbly?" Midoriya repeated.

"The way you talk...Ida, are you...a rich kid!?" Uraraka asked.

"...I don't like people to know, so I try to hide it, but...yes. Mine is a renowned hero family. And I am the second son." Ida admitted.

"Whoa, cool!" Midoriya cheered.

"Do you know of the Turbo Hero, Ingenium?" Ida asked.

"Of course! He employs sixty-five sidekicks at his office in Tokyo! So you're..!"

"How very informed." Ida said as Midoriya lit up. "Yes, he is my brother. He leads the people with his unwavering adherence to rules and regulations. A truly beloved hero! It's my admiration for my brother that's inspired my own desire to become a hero. Though I realize I'm not yet ready to lead anyone. As the superior candidate, it was right that the role should go to you, Midoriya!"

Ida gave Midoriya a smile, making Midoriya and Uraraka stare at him in surprise. Halyn just smiled herself, happy to see her classmate so passionate about his reason to become a hero.

"What about you, Ha-chan? What's your family like?" Uraraka asked, turning to look at Halyn.

"Now that you bring it up, there is a question I was curious to know the answer to. Leander...you are Italian, right? Fully?" Ida asked.

"For one, call me Halyn. In my country, we don't use each other's surname to address them. For two, no, I'm not fully Italian. My father is Italian, but my mother isn't. I favor my mother, who's Icelandic, in appearances, so it's why I don't have the tanned complexion that most Italians have." Halyn replied. "As for my family...well, it complicated. My mother died when I was little and my father has sort of been MIA since. Its really just my four brothers and I, now."

"Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't know." Uraraka said.

"Don't sweat it, Ochaco. It's been a long time, so I've pretty much moved past it. Besides, my brothers are awesome and we get along well with just the five of us." Halyn told her, smiling brightly. "But, to answer the question, I come from a family of heroes, too. My brothers, my parents, my grandparents, and even my great-grandparents, are all heroes. You guys ever hear of the Hero Duo, Maestro Felino and Eagle Eye?"

"I have! They're story is so romantic!" Uraraka said cheerfully. "They met as sidekicks and formed a company for hero teams, going into every mission together as a team! I absolutely loved the story when I heard it."

"I've heard of them too." Midoriya said, Ida agreeing.

"Yeah, well...that's my parents." Halyn admitted.

"Seriously!?"

Halyn smiled sheepishly as all three exclaimed this at the same time, turning to look at her. She usually didn't tell others about her parents simply because most already knew about them just from their hero names.

"Yeah. And my brothers are Fantasma, Catmeleon, Tiger-Eye, and Maximum Effort." Halyn added.

"Seriously!? They're big time heroes, even here in Japan." Midoriya said.

"I know. I usually don't talk about them, though." Halyn admitted.

"But why not? Aren't you proud of them?" Uraraka asked.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm very proud of my brothers and my family as a whole. I come from a long line of great heroes and couldn't be prouder. In fact, my brothers, my parents...they're my idols. Some day, I'd like to be like my mother, who defended others right down to her last breath. I'm proud, really, it's just...people tend to treat me different when they know everything." Halyn replied. "If I make it anywhere in this world, I want to do it on my own two feet, under my own effort. Not because of who or what my friends or family are, but because of who and what **I** am. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does." Midoriya told her, Uraraka and Ida agreeing.

Halyn smiled happily. Midoriya looked from Ida to Halyn. Both of them, just like him, had someone they idolized and looked up to. Someone they wanted to be like. He was thinking this, when the school alarm went off, making everyone start looking around in concern. Someone came over the speakers then.

" _ **Security level three has been broken. All students. Please evacuate in an orderly fashion.**_ "

"What's security level three?" Ida asked.

"It means someone's broken into the campus grounds." Halyn replied as she got out of her chair. "We've got to evacuate."

That, however, was not as easily done as said. All of the students were in a panic, crowding the hall and pushing and shoving in an attempt to make it to the exit. Halyn ended up hooking her arm through Uraraka's just to keep both her and the other girl from being shoved over. That didn't stop wayward elbows from find soft spots though.

"Oww! What's going on!?" Uraraka asked.

"Such a rapid response to danger! I'd expect no less from this great institution!" Ida declared.

"Rapid response!? More like rapid panicking." Halyn replied, tightening her grip on Uraraka's arm as the girl threatened to fall over.

As the students continued to try to shove forward, Midoriya was caught up in the flow and went down under a wave of student feet. It took all Halyn had just to keep Uraraka and herself from doing the same. Halyn, though, almost went down when she was momentarily distracted by someone's hand finding her backside. She was able to regain her balance and shoot the student in question a displeased look.

Ida, himself, ended up plastered to one of the windows. It was from there that he could see that it was the press that had managed to get into the school and they were now hounding Present Mic and Aizawa in an attempt to get to All Might.

Ida tried to tell the other students around him about this, but no one was listening. They were all too much in a panic and Ida's voice got drowned out among the chaos.

"Ida!"

Ida looked up, finding Uraraka, Halyn hanging onto her arm, reaching out for him. It was seeing Uraraka that he got an idea.

"Uraraka! Make me float!" he called out, stretching his hand out to her.

It was barely, but Uraraka, with a helpful push from Halyn, was able to reach Ida, slapping his hand and making him float up into the air. With her help, he slipped into the air over the students' heads. Quickly, he scouted out a place that would draw the attentions of all students to himself. His eyes landed on the exit sign over the door. With a little boost from his engines, he flew towards the sign, landing on the sign and drawing the attention of all, to him.

Though, the pose he took, had Halyn fighting back a grin and a laugh.

"Everyone! Everything's fine! It's just the press! There's nothing to panic about. We're fine! This is UA! Behave in a way befitting this great institution!" Ida announced.

Thankfully, all students stopped pushing and shoving and Halyn and Uraraka were given a little room to breathe. Halyn knew for sure, then, that Ida would make a good hero to have around in the case of mass evacuations. He certainly knew how to draw attention to himself.

Somehow, though, the whole affair lead to Midoriya stepping down from his role as class president in order for Ida to take over. In the end, Halyn guessed it was a fitting role for Ida.

Just, perhaps...a little too fitting.

-0-0-0-0-

When class was finally dismissed, Halyn stretched in her seat. She had been sitting, inactive, for far too long. She was grateful to finally be able to get up and walk around. Getting to her feet, she gathered her books. She had a few homework assignments, but those were easy enough to take care of. After that, she didn't know what she was going to do.

Thankfully, deciding that was taken out of her hands.

"Hey, Ha-chan!"

Halyn looked up as the girls surrounded her desk. All six were looking at her with bright eyed looks. It made Halyn raise an eyebrow in questioning.

"What's up?" Halyn asked.

"We were wondering...can we come over to your place?" Toru asked.

"Huh? My house?" Halyn asked.

"Yeah. You don't mind, do you?" Uraraka asked.

"Not really. In fact, it should be fun." Halyn replied casually.

Though her tail was flickering like crazy behind her, betraying her happiness.

Good thing no one was standing behind her. With the way her tail curled up from under her skirt...her panties had to be showing.

"Hey, can we come, too!?" Kaminari asked, Kirishima and Sero behind him.

"Sure. Everyone can come, if they want. I got enough room." Halyn told them. "Even you can come, Bakugo."

Bakugo clicked in tongue in annoyance as Halyn turned to him. He turned his face away from her, declaring that he didn't need to waste his time on idiots. Seeing him act all cool and tough, had Halyn's tail curling in amusement.

"Aw, come on, Bakugo. You aren't scared of me or something, are you?" she asked, purposely trying to provoke him.

Just as she wanted, he whipped around, one eye twitching as his face contorted in anger. He really was too easy to mess with. It was rather hilarious to her.

"I ain't scared of you, ya got it!?" he snapped.

"Really? Then prove it. Come on, an hour or so won't kill you." Halyn replied.

Unable to take anyone believing he was scared of anything, Bakugo agreed to come over, though he claimed he would leave after ten minutes. Halyn shrugged and turned to Todoroki next.

"What about you, Todoroki? We can all work on our homework together." Halyn offered, giving him a bright smile.

Todoroki turned to look at her. His automatic response was to say no, but seeing her smile so brightly and happily, he found himself agreeing to go. With his positive response, Halyn lit up even more.

"Midoriya, Ida, you coming too?" Halyn asked.

"S-seriously!?" Midoriya asked, turning to look at her in surprise.

"Of course. All of you are welcome." she told him.

In the end, it turned out that all of the class followed her home. Home, for Halyn, turned out to be a six floor, upscale apartment building in the more flashier part of the city. When they stood before Halyn's apartment building, it occurred to some of them that there might be too many of them to fit in a one person apartment. When this was brought to Halyn's attention, she just grinned.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" she said as she walked through the front doors of the apartment.

A security guard sat at a desk, beyond which sat two elevators. Above the guard, on the wall, was the name of the apartment building. Mina laughed when she saw the name.

"The Halyn Palace?" she asked.

Halyn looked up at the name and smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, my brothers have a wicked sense of humor. They insisted on changing the name of the building." Halyn replied.

Silence fell over her classmates as they processed what this meant. When it finally clicked, some jaws dropped.

"Wait! You **own** this building!?" several asked as one.

"Well, technically its just a gift and my brothers actually own the place, but yeah. When I got into UA and it was decided that I would move here and go to school here, my brothers bought the whole building, one, for the security, two, so they could move me into the top floor penthouse, and three, as a congratulations gift for my acceptance into UA." Halyn explained, turning to head for the desk, stopping to talk with the guard. "They're all with me, Misohara."

"So many people, Miss?" the man asked, looking at the others.

"They're my classmates. Do me a favor...don't report to my brothers that I brought boys over. They would hop the next plane to Japan." Halyn told the guard with a bright smile.

"Will do, Miss. My lips are sealed." the guard, Misohara, replied.

"Thanks! You're the best, Misohara." Halyn told him, giving him a bright smile.

"Of course, Miss. I'll set the elevators to let you all up to the top floor." Misohara said, turning to a computer on the desk.

"Thanks." Halyn told him, turning to the others. "We'll have to take two separate elevators, but they'll take you straight up."

They split up into two groups, taking the elevators up. Apparently, someone could only access the top floor if they had a key or the guard let them up. When the doors opened on the top floor, they found themselves in a foyer outside the door to the apartment. Halyn walked over to the door, pulling a key out of her pocket. She stuck it into the keyhole, typed a password into a keypad beside the door, and unlocked the door.

Inside, they were greeted with a huge, luxurious living room to their left and a modern, state of the art kitchen with attached dinning room, to their right. Beyond that, a short hall lead to the bathroom and bedroom. It looked like the kind of apartment that a rich CEO would own, with the color scheme revolving around white, black and blue.

Halyn left them standing at the door as she walked across the living room to the large, black, U-shaped couch. She dropped her bag there and turned back towards them.

"Come on in. Make yourselves at home." she invited.

"I thought this when you told us about your family at lunch, but, Ha-chan...are you rich?" Uraraka asked.

"Technically it's my brothers that are rich. I just reap the benefits." Halyn replied as they started looking around the apartment. "I insisted on a smaller apartment, but my brothers are strangely over protective and indulging. It's as if they've forgotten that I'm training to be a hero just like them. **This** is way too much for me alone."

"It's a nice apartment." Toru told her brightly.

"It is, but its too big. Most of the time, it just feels empty to me. I'm use to having my brothers in the same house as me, so this is way too quite and way too empty." Halyn replied, turning to look around the apartment. "I wonder where Salvatore is."

"Who's Salvatore?" Kirishima asked.

Halyn opened her mouth to answer when there was suddenly a loud yowl and hiss, followed by cursing. Everyone turned to find Bakugo fighting off an Egyptian Mau that had sprang from hiding on top of a shelf over his head. They watched as Bakugo tried to pry the spotted cat off his head, staggering across the living room, unable to see.

"That. That's Salvatore." Halyn replied, pointing.

A smile curled her lips, her hands going to her hips as she watched her cat cling to Bakugo's head, it's tail lashing back and forth. They all stared as Bakugo cursed and tried, without success, to pry the cat from his head.

"Aren't you going to help him? It is your cat." Kaminari said.

"Yeah, well...you know what they say. Cats are excellent judges of character. I guess Bakugo's character doesn't stand up to Salvatore's standards." Halyn replied with a grin.

Despite saying that, Halyn gave a click of her tongue that had the cat dislodging itself from Bakugo's head and darting across the room and into her arms. With a purr filled meow, the cat curled itself into her arms, stretching to rub his head against her cheek.

"I'll kill that damn cat!" Bakugo snapped.

"Only if you can catch him and believe me, that's not easily done." Halyn replied. "Egyptian Maus can reach up to forty-eight kilometers per hour."

With a smile, she turned away and headed for the kitchen. Salvatore climbed up onto her shoulder, riding there as she walked. He looked back at Bakugo, tail curling, as if he was mocking the boy. Which, of course, pissed Bakugo off. Halyn left Bakugo to fume, entering the kitchen.

"Anyone want anything to drink? I keep a steady supply of different drinks since my brothers would clear me out when they visit if I didn't." Halyn offered.

Once she had the drinks passed out, she and the others, settled down in the living room. A few of them claimed spots on the couch and others on the floor while Salvatore reclaimed his spot on a shelf over their heads, his eyes constantly watching the teenagers below. It was from her spot on the couch, that Uraraka spotted a picture frame on the end table.

"Hey, Ha-chan, who is this?"

Halyn looked up as Uraraka picked up the picture frame, turning it for her to see. The picture inside showed a couple. The man was tall, modestly muscled, tanned, with dark blue hair that bordered on black. He had golden eyes with slit pupils and cat ears and a tail that matched his hair in color. He had his arm around a young woman that, aside from hair color, the lack of a tail, and the slit pupils in her eyes, looked exactly like Halyn. She had a bright smile on her face, her long hair a platinum blonde in color.

"Oh...that's my parents." Halyn said, a fond smile falling on her face.

"You look so much like your mom." Uraraka said, handing the photo to Mina and Toru to look at it.

"She's right! You do." Mina remarked.

"I know. I'm glad about that. It means I can see her every time I look in the mirror." Halyn replied.

The comment had all eyes turning to Halyn, who was looking down at her homework with a somewhat distant look on her face.

"When did she die?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"I was seven." Halyn replied. "My parents...everyday it was like watching a pair of newly weds, they were so in love. They were partners in everything they did. I grew up knowing that they would die for each other as much as they would for my brothers and I. In the end...that's what my mother did."

Halyn gave them all a bright, if not sad, smile when all they did in response to that, was stare at her.

"What happened?" Kaminari asked.

"Idiot! Don't ask her that!" Jiro told him, whacking him with a journal.

"No, it's fine. My mother was a giving soul. Despite the fact that she ultimately gave too much, I'm proud of how much she cared for others." Halyn said. "My parents were a hero duo. My father was the best hero in our country, especially with my mother at his side. She made him better in every way. All the fame and glory kind of went to his head, though. He thought he would never meet an enemy that could best him...until he did."

"I think I know this story." Midoriya remarked. "Maestro Felino went up against the leader of a crime syndicate and was about to lose when-"

Midoriya cut off, Halyn giving him a smile when he gave her an apologetic look. She shook her head, silently telling him that it was alright.

"When my mother, the hero Eagle-Eye, stepped in, taking the blow that was meant for my father." Halyn finished.

"So you didn't lose your dad that day, but your mother instead." Kirishima said.

"Oh, no. Don't misunderstand. I lost both of my parents that day." Halyn told him, shaking her head. "He's alive somewhere out there, my father that is, but...he was never the same after my mother died. The man I knew and idolized, was gone. And then, after her funeral...he simply just vanished, leaving me on my own."

Halyn shrugged in a "what can you do" kind of way. After so long, she had probably come to terms with the neglect of her father. Hearing all this drew Todoroki's full attention to her. It was a sad and awful thing, but Halyn just smiled, as if the world still looked bright. She wasn't going to let the bad things cloud her bright future.

"But that's all water under the bridge now. My brothers and I do pretty well for ourselves. I've come to terms with the fact that he left. Whatever his reasons may have been, it was a choice he made and something I have to live with. Might as well make the best of it, yeah?"

Halyn said this with a smile on her face and, as if that was the end of the conversation, which they were sure she wanted it to be, she turned back to her homework. Taking her silent request to drop the subject, they all went back to their homework. For a moment longer than the others, Todoroki stared at Halyn, watching as she leaned over to help Mina with an English question, tucking her bangs behind her ear so they wouldn't block her eyes.

He didn't know a lot about Halyn, but...maybe it was time he found out more.

END

Kyandi: I'm going to say this right off...if any of you saw the Deadpool reference in there, I will love you forever.

Halyn: Your sisters caught the reference.

Kyandi: That's because they've watched the movie like a thousand times.

Halyn: It's a funny movie.

Kyandi: Yes, it is.

Halyn: And now, I bet some of those among your readers who have seen the movie but didn't catch the reference, are going to go back and try to find it.

Kyandi: Maybe. Let me know if any of you didn't catch it. I'll point it out.

Halyn: Then let's rap it up.

Kyandi: Right. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	3. Out of the Pan, Into the Fire

Kyandi: I'm back. I've had a lot of muse for this story.

Halyn: And she means a lot. She has most things planned out well into the events of season three.

Kyandi: Yep. I have so many ideas!

Halyn: Am I going to become your new Rette?

Kyandi: Uh, no. I haven't finished that story yet, so hush.

Halyn: Gotcha.

Kyandi: Good, now let's move on. I have other stories to update and work on.

Halyn: Right.

Kyandi: Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 3 Out of the Pan, Into the Fire

Over the next few days, things calmed down and got back to normal. Something Halyn was grateful for. She couldn't stand anymore of the press after all the fuss they had created at the school that had led to her being crammed too close to other students in the school.

After having all of her classmates over to her house one day, it seemed she went home, everyday, with, at least, one guest. Mostly it was one of the girls, company that Salvatore was more than happy to receive.

Halyn swore that her cat was a ladies man.

More so than Mineta, at least.

Today, though, her attention was on other matters.

It was twelve-fifty in the afternoon and the start of their battle training classes. The part of the day that Halyn looked forward to the most. Well...after English class, that is.

"Now for today's basic hero training." Aizawa announced. "This time, All Might, myself, and one other will supervise."

"Um, what're we doing, exactly?" Sero asked, raising his hand into the air.

"Preparing you for disaster relief, from fires to floods. It's rescue training." Aizawa announced.

Several of the students started muttering back and forth. Halyn, herself, was excited. She couldn't wait to see how they were going to conduct this kind of training.

She didn't realize that, by the end of the day, she was going to be eating her words of excitement.

"Hey." Aizawa called, cutting off the students. "I'm not done. It's up to each of you whether or not you wear your costumes. As some of them are ill-suited to this sort of activity."

At this point, Aizawa's eyes turned to Halyn.

"What?" Halyn asked. "Why look at me, Aizawa-sensei?"

"Just think about it before you decide." Aizawa continued instead of answering Halyn. "The training site is a bit remote, so we'll be going by bus. That's all. Get ready."

Despite Aizawa's less than subtle hint, Halyn, like the rest of her female classmates, grabbed her costume and headed to the locker room to change. Halyn had put a lot of thought into her costume when she had sent in the design notes to the support company. Revealing or not, it served a purpose and would withstand a lot, so she wasn't concerned.

When the girls rejoined the boys, Uraraka and Halyn found Midoriya dressed in his gym uniform. He only had the mask part of his costume on.

"You wore your gym clothes, Deku? Where's your costume?" Uraraka asked.

"It didn't make it through our last battle training in one piece." Midoriya replied.

"Gee, I wonder why." Halyn teased, her eyes going to Bakugo.

"What are you looking at?!" Bakugo snapped.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Halyn replied, a grin curling her lips as her tail curled as well.

"The school's support company is repairing it. Just gotta wait for now." Midoriya continued, while, in the background, Halyn teased Bakugo while he fumed.

Ahead of them, at the bus, Ida was calling for them to line up according to their seating order. This put Halyn behind Todoroki. Once on the bus, though, they found it wasn't a traditional style bus. Instead, its seats, for the first half of the bus, were lined against the walls, like benches on a train, leaving the center wide open, while the second half of the bus was set up like a normal bus. Halyn still decided to take the seat next to Todoroki since she had already been behind him anyway. The moment she was sitting, she pulled a book out of one of the many inside pockets in her hoodie and started to read.

"Darn. It was this type of bus!" Ida sulked, hanging his head.

"All that for nothing." Mina said, patting his shoulder.

Across from them, Asui was seated next to Midoriya and just started talking.

"I generally say what's on my mind, Midoriya." she started.

"Oh?! What is it, Asui?" Midoriya asked.

"Call me, Tsuyu." Asui insisted before continuing. "Your quirk resembles All Might's."

Midoriya, as he always did when the subject was brought up, freaked, stumbling over his words. It made Halyn glance up from her book for a moment before her eyes returned to their reading.

"R-r-r-r-really?! Nah. I mean, I..." Midoriya stuttered before trailing off.

"Hold up, Tsuyu. All Might doesn't get hurt, though." Kirishima said, unknowingly saving Midoriya. "They're already different in that way."

"Perhaps, but All Might is horribly over ripped. Midoriya is as tiny as a twig compared to him." Halyn remarked, not looking up from her book. "A quirk like that is bound to cause damage if your body isn't properly suited for it. If Midoriya was as muscled and sturdy as All Might is, than he might not hurt himself. Or it could just all be a matter of control."

"You got a point." Kirishima conceded. "But that sort of simple, strength-enhancing quirk is awesome! You can do a lot of cool stuff with it! Not like my Hardening. I'm good in a fight, but it's real boring."

Kirishima held out an arm, his skin hardening and taking on a rocky kind of appearance. It wasn't a flashy quirk, but it was one that had it's uses.

"I think that's pretty neat, though." Midoriya said. "Your quirk's more than enough if you wanna go pro."

"Pro! But don't forget that heroes also have to worry about popular appeal! My Navel Laser is both strong and cool. Perfect for a pro." Aoyama said proudly.

"As long as you don't blow up your own stomach!" Mina reminded him.

The look that Aoyama gave Mina was not pleased nor pleasant.

"You wanna talk strong and cool? That'd be Todoroki and Bakugo."

Bakugo looked up when his name was said, but quickly looked away, clicking his tongue in annoyance. Beside Halyn, Todoroki, who had his eyes close as if he was resting, didn't react in any way, just continued to rest.

"But Bakugo's so unhinged. He'd never be popular." Asui remarked.

"What'd you say, Frog-face?!" Bakugo snapped, flying to his feet.

"See." Asui said, proving her point.

"We've only barely started socializing and already you've made it abundantly clear to us the unpleasantness of your steamed turd of a personality." Kaminari told Bakugo.

"Yeah, okay, Mr. Vocabulary. How about I pound you?!" Bakugo retorted.

"You're only proving their points, Bakugo." Halyn remarked.

"No one asked you!" Bakugo snapped at her.

"Speaking of quirks," Kirishima said, turning to look at Halyn. "What's your's, Leander?"

All eyes turned to Halyn. Even Todoroki opened his eyes to peer at her. Halyn looked up from her book, humming in questioning before she smiled.

"Oh, that." she said, as if it had slipped her mind. "That's on a need-to-know basis. Right now, I don't deem it necessary for anyone to know."

Halyn gave them all a bright smile before turning back to her book. Groans left a few of her classmates who were dissatisfied with the answer to the question.

"Come on, Leander. Does anyone know what it is?" Kaminari asked.

"Do you mean among the students, or the teaching staff too?" Halyn asked.

"Both." Kaminari replied.

"Hmmm...nope, I don't think anyone does." Halyn replied, shrugging. "I don't really like telling anyone if I don't have to, so I doubt it's even in my school files. Makes things more interesting."

Her classmates were unsure how to take that. Especially when she grinned at them, her lips spreading just enough to give them a glimpse at a fang-like incisor.

"I bet it's just some mutant-type quirk having to do with your tail." Bakugo growled.

"Hmm, I wonder about that. I suppose one day you might find out. Maybe." Halyn replied.

She was content to leave them to think whatever they wanted. If they wanted to think it was quirk dealing with her physical differences, than they could. If they wanted to think it was something completely unrelated to her appearance, then they could think that too. She would only reveal her quirk when she was good and ready and not a moment before.

"We're here. Look sharp, now." Aizawa suddenly called.

The site they found themselves at when they exited the bus and entered the building, was a space comprised of several different types of disaster zones. There was a zone made up of buildings on fire, another made to simulate a landslide, another for an earthquake and flood, and so on. One student made the joke that it looked like Universal Studios Japan.

It was there that they met the hero, Thirteen.

"Every disaster and accident you can imagine. I built this facility myself. I call it the "Unforeseen Simulation Joint"." Thirteen told them.

"Huh, USJ...just like Universal Studios Japan. Funny." Halyn remarked, amused.

While the students stared at their new surroundings, taking in the different zones laid out before them, Aizawa approached Thirteen.

"Thirteen. Where's All Might? I thought he was meeting us here." Aizawa said, looking around for the massive blonde.

"About that, senpai...it seems he just about reached his **limit** during his morning commute." Halyn looked up in time to catch Thirteen holding up three fingers. As Halyn's curiosity grew, her tail gave a single, idle flick. "He's resting in the break room."

"The height of irrationality. So be it." Aizawa said. "Let's get started."

"Before we do, I have one or two points." Thirteen said. "Or three...four..."

"Lots of points, we get it." Halyn said, smiling in amusement as she braced her hands on her hips.

Thirteen gave a small laugh, but quickly turned serious once more.

"As I'm sure many of you are aware, my quirk is called Black Hole. It can suck in and tear apart anything." Thirteen explained.

"And you've used it to save people in all sorts of disasters." Midoriya piped in.

"Indeed. However, my power could easily kill. I've no doubt there are some among you with similar abilities." Thirteen said, the seriousness of the words falling over the students before Thirteen took a bow. "That is all! I thank you for listening."

The others gave Thirteen a round of applause. Ready to get things on the way, Aizawa, who stood at the rail overlooking the main plaza of the facility, drew attention back to himself.

"Great. First off-"

Aizawa was cut off when something down in the plaza, drew his attention. Halyn, who happened to be standing near him, instantly saw what drew his attention. Down in the plaza, a small, black swirling mass begun to form. From the center of the mass came a hand and then a person, and another after that, and more people after that. From the black mist came person after person.

Halyn had a horrible feeling about this and Aizawa shared her sentiment.

"Huddle up and don't move." he yelled. Most of the students were slow to respond, unsure of what was going on. "Thirteen! Protect the students."

Some of the students still didn't get what was going on.

"What the heck's that?! More battle robots? Like during the entrance exam?" Kirishima asked.

"Don't move. Those are villains!" Aizawa yelled at them, pulling his googles on.

Before Halyn's eyes, the black mist came together, forming a humanoid shape with some kind of metal neck guard showing where a neck should be. It was this person made of mist that spoke next.

"Thirteen...and Eraser Head, is it? According to the staff schedule I received the other day, All Might is supposed to be here." he said.

"Of course. That whole incident was the scum's doing." Aizawa remarked.

Halyn wasn't focusing on that or the mist man. Her eyes, instead, were drawn to a man standing beside the mist man. Over all, even though she couldn't see his face, she would of placed him somewhere in his twenties and he was covered with some kind of hands. She didn't know if they were real or not, and truth be told...she didn't want to know. All she knew was that one of those hands covered his face, keeping them all from seeing what he actually looked like.

Though she wasn't fond of the fact that they both had the same shade of blue hair.

"Where is he...? We've come all this way. And brought so many playmates." he said, his head whipping back and forth as he peered past the fingers of the hand on his face. "All Might...the symbol of peace...is he here?"

His next words sent a chill down Halyn's spine.

"I wonder if some dead kids will bring him here?"

Halyn felt the chill claw its way down her spine and had to suppress a shiver. She had no doubt in her mind that this man meant what he said. They were there for All Might and if they didn't get him, they would attack the students. As the seconds ticked by, more and more villains came through the black mist. There were so many and they only had two pro heroes on their side.

"Villains?! No way! What villains'd be dumb enough to sneak into a school for heroes?" someone asked from behind Halyn.

"Sensei, aren't there intruder sensors?" Yoayorozu asked.

"Yes, of course there are!" Thirteen replied.

"It has to be the quirk of one of those villains blocking the sensors." Halyn remarked.

"She's right. Are they only here, or also at the main building...? Either way, Leander is right. If the sensors aren't working, it has to be one of their quirks that's doing it." Todoroki agreed.

"Like Aizawa-sensei said before we came here...this place is remote and these villains obviously picked a time when there'd be few people here, aside from ourselves." Halyn remarked. "They're more clever than they seem and obviously must have an objective. It's too well coordinated of an attack to be anything else."

Aizawa glanced at Halyn before turning his attention back to Thirteen.

"Thirteen! Begin evacuation! And try calling the school! One of these villains must be jamming the sensors. There's a good chance one of their electric types is causing the interference. Kaminari. Try using your quirk to signal for help." Aizawa ordered.

"Got it!" Kaminari replied.

"But sensei, you can't fight them all alone!" Midoriya insisted. "Against that many...even you can't nullify all their quirks! As Eraser Head, your fighting style involves erasure and a quick binding capture. Head on battle isn't-"

"No good hero is a one-trick pony." Aizawa told Midoriya, cutting him off. "Thirteen! Take care of them."

With that, Aizawa jumped down the stairs and into the fight. Despite being a hero that specialized in sneak attacks, Aizawa handled himself just fine. Halyn was positive about his success at defending himself. Or, at least, she prayed that he would continue to have such success.

"Wow! He can hold his own even when out-numbered." Midoriya said.

"He wouldn't be much of a seasoned pro if he couldn't." Halyn told Midoriya, grabbing his arm to turn him to follow the others.

They needed to get out of there because they would only get in the way and distract Aizawa. The mist man, Kurogiri, had other ideas, thought. As quick as lightning, he appeared in their way, blocking the door out of the USJ.

"I won't allow that." he said, bringing Thirteen, Halyn, and her classmates, all to a stop. "Greetings. We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity, but today, we've come here to UA High School, this bastion of heroism...to end the life of All Might, the symbol of peace. We were under the impression that All Might would be here today...but it seems his schedule was revised? Well...no matter. My role remains unchanged."

Before anyone else could react, Bakugo and Kirishima attacked Kurogiri. Kurogiri reacted quickly, dodging the two attacking boys.

"Not if we end you first. Betcha didn't see that coming!" Kirishima said.

"That **was** close. Yes...students though you may be, you are the best of the best." Kurogiri admitted.

"No, get back! Both of you!" Thirteen called.

Halyn moved just about as fast as she could, but she wasn't fast enough to avoid what happened next and nor were the rest of her classmates. Kurogiri's mist spread out, covering them all. Some of her classmates grabbed onto each other, trying not to get separated. Shoji reached out, trying to grab Halyn, but he was a moment too slow.

To Halyn, it was like her world went black for just a brief moment and in the next breath, she was falling through the air. With her balance off, Halyn flailed, trying to get her balance back in order to land on her feet. Instead, she landed on something that she was sure was human. There was a grunt as, whoever it was, collapsed to the ground under her weight.

"Okay, that was **not** fun." Halyn remarked, pushing herself up.

When she looked up, she found herself in the last place she really should be.

"Leander?"

"Aizawa-sensei?"

Halyn looked up...to find herself in the middle of the fight between Aizawa and the villains, and the person she was sitting on...was one of the villains. Halyn looked back and forth, her eyes flying past Aizawa and up towards the exit of the USJ, where Kurogiri was facing off with Thirteen and whatever students remained up there.

"Son of a...! He teleported me!" Halyn retorted, displeased with her current situation.

So displeased that when the man under her started to threaten her to get of him or he'd hurt her, she slammed the heel of her boot into his cheek bone to shut him up. The hit was so hard that the man was knocked unconscious. With that, she climbed off of him, dusting herself off.

"Hell's bells." she hissed, rubbing the base of her tail.

Aizawa's eyes widen as two villains charged Halyn from behind. He barely got her name out in warning before Halyn whipped around, as if she had been aware of their presence the whole time. The first man was already stretching a hand out, reaching for her. She grabbed the wrist of that hand, her other hand grabbing his belt. Twisting, she knocked his ankles together, taking his feet out from under him. Using his own falling momentum against him, Halyn twisted and threw the man back at his comrades with an ease that spoke of practice throwing people larger than she was.

Without stopping, Halyn turned on her second attacker, quickly noting that the man had large, bat-like ears on the sides of his head and that his eyes were closed, as if he didn't need them to see. Taking a gamble that he used his ears to track, Halyn took a deep breath in, waiting until the man was right on top of her...before she let out the most unholiest of screeches right in his face. Everyone around her, even Aizawa, was forced to cover their ears.

The man with the bat ears, however, hit the ground, twitching as he covered his ears. Halyn, as part of a family with a long line of mutant-type quirks, knew better than most, the sensitivity that came with ears like the man's. She also knew that she had a screech straight from hell.

Her brothers had told her that plenty of times growing up.

Her fluid and quick response managed to shock the villains around her, giving her time to backtrack until she stood next to Aizawa, her eyes never leaving those in front of her. She wasn't in the most ideal situation, but she could manage as long as she focused on self-defense. After all, from what she could tell, most of those there were two-bit thugs, nothing more than street criminals incapable of standing up to someone well trained.

"Aizawa-sensei."

Aizawa's eyes flickered to Halyn, taking in her serious and focused expression before returning to the villains in front of them.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I can help you with some of these thugs as long as I don't use my quirk, right? That's the law here in Japan, right? Without a license I can't use my quirk against others, right?" Halyn asked.

"Outside of school, that's right." Aizawa replied. "But Leander-"

"Then leave the mutant-types to me."

Aizawa turned wide eyes on Halyn. Her expression was completely serious as her eyes scanned those villains in front of her.

"Not a chance. Get out of here." Aizawa ordered.

"Even if I was to follow your orders, Aizawa-sensei, I'm not really in a position where I can make a run for it. There are too many of them for you to cover my back and that mist man might just send me back again." Halyn reasoned. She met Aizawa's eyes as he debated it. "Trust me, Aizawa-sensei. I've been trained to fight mutant-types since I was little. I'm more than capable of defending myself without the use of my quirk. My family saw to that. We don't really have much of a choice, do we?"

Aizawa saw her point. Already, the villains had surrounded them, blocking off Halyn's path of retreat. She would have to go through about two dozen villains anyway, just to get back to Thirteen. And Halyn had a point. He had seen her in action in battle training. The girl was quick, clever, capable of making on the spot decisions and reacting quickly to a fast approaching threat. She was among the best hand-to-hand combat specialists he had seen to date and had the observing talent of her mother as she had displayed in the short confrontation with the two that had attacked her.

His choice obvious.

"Alright." he told her. "But if you see an opening, you get out of here."

"Yes, sir!" Halyn replied, taking her battle stance, her tail flicking once in anticipation of the fight.

She was nervous, a little unsure, and horribly out numbered, but she had her teacher at her side and years of combat training under her belt. And if she was being honest...

This wasn't even her first confrontation with a villain.

She could do this. For the safety of her classmates, for her own safety and that of everyone on the campus, she would have to fight. As long as she kept moving, kept her focus, she should be alright. With that, she entered the fray.

She could stop to think about how stupid she was in entering the fight when she was safe and sound back at the main building.

-0-0-0-0-

Across the USJ, at the flood zone, Midoriya came out of the black mist, falling towards the water, head first. He hit the water with a splash, almost instantly being confronted by a aquatic villain that had, apparently, been laying in waiting. He attacked Midoriya with jaws of shark teeth, stretched out wide.

"It's nuthin' personal, kid, but say goodbye!" the villain declared.

Luckily for Midoriya, Asui showed up then, slamming her feet into the villain's head and wrapping Midoriya in her tongue to pull him and herself out of the water. It wasn't until after she had placed him on the deck of the ship floating in the zone, that he realized she had Mineta with her.

"Thanks, Asui." Midoriya said as Asui scaled the side of the ship to pull herself up onto the deck.

"Call me Tsuyu. But we seem to be in trouble, here." she replied.

"They know our schedule! The simplest explanation is that they caused that media rush the other day in order to get their intel. It's like Leander said...they've been waiting for this chance...and they prepared for it well." Midoriya said.

"But, but! There's no way they could ever kill All Might! He'll thrash 'em once he gets here. Bam! Pow!" Mineta insisted.

"Mineta...they must've figured out a way to kill him." Asui replied. "Otherwise, why come here just to get beaten? I wouldn't put it past them. That one guy promised to kill us too, after all. Who says we can even hold out until All Might gets here? Even when he does show up...who says he won't be killed?"

This only served to freak out Mineta even more. It was made worse when they looked over the side of the deck to find that it wasn't just one villain down in the water. There were several waiting in the water. Midoriya started muttering to himself as he walked this brain through their current situation.

These villains were after All Might's life. Midoriya knew there had to be a reason behind their interest in All Might and that it couldn't simply be because he was a hero that stood against villains. They would be after all heroes then. Was it because he was the symbol of peace? No. He was sure there had to be a specific reason, but he couldn't figure it out. That could wait for another time. For now, they had their lives to worry about.

"If they...if there's even a chance that they have a way to beat All Might then we have to...we have a fight to win!" Midoriya declared.

"How can we possibly fight, you dumbass? These guys might even be tough enough to kill All Might! You're contradicting yourself, Midoriya! Our only hope is to hide somewhere until the UA heroes come to rescue us!" Mineta yelled.

"Mineta. Those guys down there...they're clearly suited to aquatic combat, right?" Midoriya asked.

"Stop ignoring my point!" Mineta snapped.

"So the ringleaders must have recruited their team knowing about USJ's different environments." Asui said, catching on to Midoriya's point.

"Exactly! Their intel told them that much, at least. But with all their careful planning, one odd point sticks out." Midoriya said. "They zapped you, Asu...errr...Tsuyu...into the flood zone!"

Seeing that he had slipped up on her name, once again, but had tried to catch and correct himself, she let him go on it this time. Mineta, on the other hand, was impatient.

"What's your point, already?!" he snapped.

"What I'm saying is that they must not know about **our** quirks!" Midoriya said.

"If they'd known about me having frog powers, they'd have dumped me into the fiery area." Asui agreed.

"It's exactly because they **didn't** know about our quirks that their strategy was to scatter us and overwhelm us with numbers. They've got us beat when it comes to numbers and experience, so there's only one way for us to win! Exploit the fact that they don't know our quirks!" Midoriya told his friends. "Look. They're not trying to get on board! That supports my theory!"

Despite that being true, it also meant that the villains weren't underestimating them, either. With that in mind, the three of them decided to share their quirks with each other. Asui went first.

"I can jump really high and stick to walls. My tongue can stretch to a maximum of twenty meters. Also, I can spit up my stomach to clean it and secrete a poisonous fluid... I say "poisonous" but it really just stings a little." Asui explained, Mineta's mind getting stuck on the word "secrete". "Those last two aren't that useful. Just forget about them."

"Wow, you're strong...I underestimated you." Midoriya complimented her. "I...I have super strength, but...immediately after using it...it messes me up...my quirk...it's a double-edge sword."

When it was Mineta's turn, he reached up, plucking off one of the balls on his head. He stuck it to the wall near him, to display it's sticking capabilities.

"It's really sticky. If I'm feeling good, it'll stick there all day. A new one'll grow in the old one's place, but if I take too many, I'll start bleeding. They'll bounce off my own body without sticking to me." Mineta explained. When all Midoriya and Asui did was stare, he teared up and freaked out. "Like I said, we just gotta wait to be rescued! My quirk is terrible for fighting multiple opponents!"

"N-not at all. It's a great quirk. We just have to think how to make use of it." Midoriya told him.

All three were sent stumbling about the deck when something suddenly hit the ship, cutting it in two.

"I'm getting bored over here." yelled one of the villains from the water below. "Let's finish this thing."

In response, freaking out and crying, Mineta started throwing his balls overboard. He then turned to Midoriya, tears streaming down his face and pointed towards the water as if just realizing that he had given away his quirk. Midoriya, on the other hand, noticed that the villains, being on guard as they were, were doing their best to avoid touching Mineta's balls.

"That boat'll go under in less than a minute. Once you're in the water, you're chum." one villain called up to them.

"Ahhh, he's right!" Mineta cried, backing away from the deck railing.

"Mineta. Did you really come to UA to become a hero?" Asui asked.

"Shaddup! You're crazy for **not** being scared. We were just freaking middle school kids a couple of months ago! I never thought we'd be in a life-or-death situation so soon. Ahh, I just wish I could've gotten to grope Yaoyorozu's boob-orozus before I died." Mineta cried back.

He was convinced that they were going to die. Midoriya, though, was searching his brain for some kind of idea and when it came to him, he knew it was the only option left to him in their current situation.

"'The moment when the enemy thinks they've won, represents your best chance.'. All Might once said that during a documentary interview." Midoriya said.

"What're you...?" Mineta trailed off when he noticed that Midoriya was trembling in fear.

"This is the **only** way we can win!" Midoriya insisted.

Before the villains below could figure out what he was doing, Midoriya climbed up onto the railing and jumped, screaming, "Go to hell!" at the top of his lungs. The villains below thought he was an idiot, just jumping to his death, but Midoriya had a plan. He knew that no matter how big of a smash he used, he could never hit all of the villains and if they managed to get out of the flood zone, there were more villains between them and the exit. He couldn't go sacrificing his whole arm just yet.

So, putting his middle finger and thumb together, he focused his power into those two fingers, picturing the egg not exploding in the microwave. On the ship deck, Asui grabbed Mineta, preparing herself to jump when Midoriya released his smash. With the release of his finger, it was like a shock wave suddenly exploded into the water, sending the waves rocketing away from the impact zone.

"Tsuyu! Mineta!" Midoriya yelled.

Asui took her cue, jumping. She grabbed Midoriya with her tongue, pulling him after her. As they flew over the water, Mineta threw more of his balls into the water below. As the water rushed back in on the impact zone, the balls begun to stick to the villains making them stick to each other until every one of the villains was stuck together in a large ball that they couldn't escape from.

"By delivering a strong shock to the water's surface, it spreads, and once it rushes back into the center..." Midoriya trailed off as he watched the water crash back into the center, sending a pillar of water up into the air.

"Looks like we beat our first challenge. Or something. Good job, you two." Asui told her two classmates.

Once they landed in shallow water, Asui set Midoriya down, the two walking towards the shore line while Asui drug Mineta by his cape.

"I took a really clean dump this morning, so they should be stuck together all day." Mineta remarked with a chuckle as he watched the villain float along the water, all stuck together.

"Lucky that managed to get them all because honestly that was a real gamble. If they'd been smart, a few of them would have been hidden under the water's surface, but I guess they weren't thinking ahead...still...gotta be careful, here..."

"Stop it, Midoriya." Asui said when Midoriya started his muttering once again. "That's scary. So what should we do now?"

"Right. For now...calling for help is our top priority. If possible, we should follow the shoreline and make for the exit, avoiding the plaza altogether." Midoriya suggested.

Glancing across the open area between them and the central plaza, he could just make out all of the people gathered there. If possible, it looked like there were more there than before.

"Right. Looks like Aizawa-sensei is drawing a large number of them to the plaza." Asui remarked.

"There're too many of them. Of course he's more than holding his own out there, but...it's too much for him. He knew that, but he jumped in to protect us." Midoriya remarked.

"Eh...? Don't tell me you're that stupid, Midoriya." Mineta remarked, seeing what Midoriya was getting at.

"I'm not saying we should dive right into the fight. Just that we watch for an opening and do what we can to lighten sensei's load." Midoriya suggested.

Though it was for the best of intentions, Midoriya, in that moment, didn't realize the grave miscalculation he had made in thinking, even for a moment, that they stood a chance against their current enemies.

END

Kyandi: I tried so hard to prolong the time until the first real fight in the series, but I couldn't.

Halyn: Basically, Kyandi-sama feels like the series might have rushed into the first big fight a little quickly.

Kyandi: Just a little. I mean, I ended up starting the USJ incident in the third chapter of this story. It was introduced around episode nine of the anime and chapter thirteen of the manga.

Halyn: It didn't help that you brought me in late and, therefore, missed the events of the first day of battle training.

Kyandi: Which I did for a few reasons.

Halyn: Right. What's she's trying to say is that she's sorry if it feels a little rushed.

Kyandi: Yep. Sorry!

Halyn: And now, she has other stories to get to.

Kyandi: Right. Everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	4. Combat Kitty

Kyandi: I'm back everyone! I'm sorry it's taking me so long.

Halyn: She's addicted.

Kyandi: She means to writing this story. I've been so into writing this story that I haven't been editing chapters.

Halyn: She's doing that now.

Kyandi: Yep. I'll be doing that while all of you are reading this chapter.

Halyn: She's getting closer to revealing my quirk, so she's getting excited.

Kyandi: Hush! No hints.

Halyn: Outside of the written material?

Kyandi: Right. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 4 Combat Kitty

Back at the plaza, Aizawa was taking down one villain after another. He had, just five minute prior, lost sight of Halyn in the mix. While he had a bad feeling about that, he was hoping she had seen an opening and had made a break for the exit. He prayed that was what it was because he had no way of checking. The distraction of wondering where Halyn was, only lasted for a moment. When the man with the hands all over him, Shigaraki, charged into the fight, he forced his focus away from Halyn.

The girl was clever, she could take care of herself.

"So, you're the boss?" Aizawa demanded, trying to capture Shigaraki before he could reach him.

When Shigaraki only grabbed the tape, Aizawa slipped past the lackie in front of him and darted towards Shigaraki. He gave a yank on the capture tape to pull Shigaraki forward and off balance, jamming an elbow into Shigaraki's gut. Shigaraki caught the elbow before it could do any damage to him.

"It's hard to tell when you're scampering around, but there are moments when your hair falls in front of your eyes." Shigaraki said. "Every time you finish a given move. And your max duration's getting shorter and shorter. Don't overdo it now, Eraser Head."

Aizawa's eyes widened, pain stabbing through his arm as the skin on his elbow begun to deteriorate, breaking away from his elbow in flakes. Punching Shigaraki with the other hand, he retreated back from the other man, putting distance between them. Instantly, other villains were on him.

"Your quirk...it's not good in long, group battles, huh? This is kinda different from your usual work, yeah? You specialize in quick sneak attacks. Yet you jumped right into this fight. Hoping to make the kids feel safe? So cool. So cool. By the way, **hero**..." As Shigaraki said this, Aizawa became aware of a presence behind him. Turning he found a monster-like man with his brain exposed, behind him. "I'm not the boss here."

The next thing Aizawa knew, his face was being mashed into the ground, the monster, who Shigaraki called Nomu, easily breaking his arms despite Aizawa erasing his quirk. It was obvious that the creature, whatever it was, was strong without the added help of a quirk.

And it was all too easy for Nomu to bash Aizawa's head into the ground.

Unknown to Aizawa, Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta were watching from the shoreline of the flood zone.

"Meet the anti-symbol of peace. The bio-engineered Nomu." Shigaraki told Aizawa, introducing the creature. "Canceling out quirks. Pretty cool, but nothing special. Up against crazy strength, you might as well be totally quirkless."

As if acting on an unspoken order, Nomu reached out, smashing a large hand down on Aizawa's unbroken arm. A loud snap sounded, a cry of pain leaving Aizawa. With the other hand, Nomu pulled Aizawa's head back and smashed his face into the ground hard enough to crack the cement floor beneath.

Watching from the edge of the water, Midoriya and his two classmates stared in horror.

"This is bad, Midoriya...time for a change of plans, yeah?" Mineta asked.

Midoriya didn't even know what to say. Before them, Kurogiri appeared beside Shigaraki, informing him that one of the students had managed to get outside. At first, Shigaraki didn't show much reaction, simply saying, "Huh...", but then he begun to scratch his neck, the small amount of scratching escalating until he was fiercely clawing at his neck with both hands.

"Kurogiri. You...I'd turn you to dust if you weren't our ticket out of here. We won't stand a chance against dozens of pros. It's game over, man...it's game over, **for now**. We're leaving." Shigaraki told his companion.

"Leaving? Did he just say they're leaving?" Mineta asked from the shoreline.

"I think so." Asui replied.

"W-we're saved. Yes!" Mineta said happily, jumping at Asui to hug her.

In the midst of the hug, he ended up grabbing one of her breasts, leading to Asui pushing him under the water before turning to speak to Midoriya.

"I've got a bad feeling, Midoriya." she remarked.

"Yeah...to do all this...and then just leave on a whim..."

Midoriya really didn't like this. Shigaraki had claimed that his goal was to kill All Might. If they were to leave then, before All Might could show up, the school was just going to be more on alert. It would make it harder to break into the school in the future. Something wasn't right here.

"But before that. Let's leave a few dead kids." Shigaraki said suddenly, turning to where Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta were. In a flash, he was on the three, reaching for them. "To wound the pride of the symbol of peace!"

As Midoriya watched Shigaraki reach for Asui in what felt like slow motion, the image of Aizawa's elbow deteriorating under Shigaraki's touch, flashed into his head. Just as his fingers touched Asui's face, Shigaraki stopped, nothing happening.

"You really are pretty cool. Eraser Head." Shigaraki remarked.

Behind him, Aizawa had his eyes open and intent on Shigaraki, giving Midoriya and his classmates the opening they needed to react before Nomu smashed Aizawa's head into the ground, bringing an end to the effect of Aizawa's quirk. In that brief moment, Midoriya rounded on Shigaraki, pulling back a fist while yelling for him to get away from Asui.

The punch landed, Midoriya was sure, his arm, thankfully, remaining unbroken. But when the smoke cleared, it wasn't Shigaraki he had hit, but Nomu and with no damage to the creature at all. In that moment, Midoriya managed to figure out how they planned to kill All Might.

"Quite a move you just pulled off...and with a "smash" too...you a fan of All Might?" Shigaraki asked. "Well, whatever."

Asui's tongue rocketed out, reaching for Midoriya as Nomu grabbed hold of his arm. All the while, Shigaraki reached for her and Mineta. Before he could lay a finger on either, with a resounding crash, the doors of the USJ blew in, completely flying off their hinges. Who entered through the demolished doors, had relief washing over all those who could see him.

"Fear not. I am here."

There, standing at the top of the stairs, a fierce frown tugging down his lips instead of his usual smile, was All Might. Shigaraki's attention zeroed in on the hero with intensity.

"I had a bad feeling...so I cut my talk with the principal short and came right away. Then I ran into Ida on the way. He told me the gist of what's going on here." All Might said, his anger obvious in his words.

Gripping his tie, like he was about to loosen it, he ripped it clear off. It was clear that he was very angry at the treatment of his co-workers and students. With a single leap from the top of the stairs, he took down all of the small fry standing between him and Shigaraki, easily taking an unconscious Aizawa with him. Next, he flew past Shigaraki and Nomu before either could react, grabbing his three students and knocking the hand off Shigaraki's face. Next thing anyone knew, he had all three students and Aizawa clear of all enemies.

"Everyone, to the entrance. Take Aizawa. He's unconscious, so hurry!" All Might ordered.

In front of them, Shigaraki bent to pick up the hand, apologizing and calling it father before placing it back over his face.

"Throwing punches to save people...hahaha. That's our state-sponsored violence. You're fast. Too fast to keep up with, but not as fast as expected. Could it really be true? That you're getting weaker?" Shigaraki asked.

"It's no use, All Might! That brain villain! One For...I mean, my attack wasn't strong enough to break my own arm, but he didn't even flinch! Up against that, you-"

"Midoriya, kid." All Might cut Midoriya off, turning to give him a smile. "Fear not!"

With that, All Might jumped into the fight, attacking Nomu head on. Nomu, completely unaffected by the attack, tried to grab All Might, All Might dodging and aiming another punch for Nomu's gut. Again, it didn't work.

"Seriously? No effect at all?!" All Might exclaimed.

"No effect. Because he's got shock absorption. If you want to really damage Nomu, you'd be better off slowly ripping him apart, piece by piece. Not that he'll give you that chance." Shigaraki informed All Might.

"Thanks for the info. Appreciate it!" All Might called back. "No sweat!"

Getting up behind Nomu, All Might wrapped his arms around his waist and bent backwards, pulling Nomu up off his feet. The resulting crash from All Might slamming Nomu back into the ground, blew a pillar of smoke straight into the air. Midoriya, who was carrying the top half of Aizawa's body while Mineta had grabbed his legs, turned to look, Mineta and Asui looking as well.

"How'd a suplex make an explosion like that?! All Might's in a whole different league!" Mineta remarked.

"Yet, he's a newbie as a teacher, with those cheat sheets and all." Asui added.

Midoriya was more focused on the fact that, with Nomu, their enemies really might have a way to kill All Might and the only person who knew what kind of trouble All Might was in, was Midoriya himself. And it wasn't like they could help All Might either. They would only slow All Might down and if one of them happened to be taken hostage, it would only make the situation all that more dire.

Sudden cheering from above, drew Midoriya's attention to where Uraraka and a few others were watching from the top of the stairs. From Mineta and Asui, to Uraraka and the others, they were all cheering All Might on, all of them believing that, with the appearance of All Might, they were all going to be safe and sound. But Midoriya knew better and as the smoke cleared, it revealed that instead of burying Nomu in the concrete, Kurogiri had opened a warp gate. Nomu came out the other side right under All Might's back, digging his claw deep into All Might's sides.

"So you hoped to drive him into the concrete and seal his movements? It wouldn't have worked. Nomu is as powerful as you. Well done, Kurogiri. Perfect timing, really." Shigaraki praised.

All Might grit his teeth as Nomu's fingers dug deeper, one of the creature's hands having found his weak spot. Releasing Nomu's other hand, All Might focused on trying to pry free the fingers of the hand currently digging into his left side, but Nomu's grip wasn't budging.

"Impressive, for first-time offenders...but prepare yourselves!" All Might said, trying to cover up the fact that he was really in a bad spot.

"I can't say I much like the idea of having blood and guts inside my gate, but if they're yours, I'll happily oblige." Kurogiri said. "You see, it's Nomu's job to get around that blinding speed of yours and hold you down. And it's my job to close the warp gate on you while you're halfway through and immobilized. Thereby cutting you in two."

Midoriya couldn't stay still any longer.

"Asu-Tsuyu!" Midoriya called.

"You finally got it right. Nice. What is it, Midoriya?" Asui asked.

"Take Aizawa-sensei for me." Midoriya requested.

"Sure...but what're you-"

Asui was cut off as Midoriya handed off Aizawa and turned back towards All Might. Before Midoriya knew what he was doing, he was running for All Might, intent of helping him. Before he could reach him, though, Bakugo flew into the scene, attacking Kurogiri.

"Get the hell outta here! Deku!" Bakugo yelled, a crazed grin on his face as he finally made contact with Kurogiri.

Getting a hand on the bit of armor that Kurogiri wore around his neck, Bakugo was able to pin the villain to the ground. With Kurogiri down, ice begun to spread over the ground until it reached Nomu's feet. It then followed the creature's body through the warp gate and only stopped short of All Might's body so that it froze Nomu, but not All Might.

"So I heard you people are here to kill All Might." Todoroki remarked, stepping onto the scene.

Kirishima was the next person to fly into the fray, aiming an attack for Shigaraki. Though he missed, it forced the villain a step further back from All Might. Midoriya, with tears of gratitude in his eyes, watched as his classmates stepped up in defense of their teacher.

All Might was surprised, but thanks to the interference, he was able to completely pry open Nomu's grip, freeing himself. Shigaraki looked around at the five now before him.

"You've pinned down our way out...well...this is a problem." Shigaraki remarked.

"You slipped up, you bastard! And it's just like I thought!" Bakugo remarked, grinning down at Kurogiri. "The parts you can turn into that foggy warp gate are limited! And you're using that misty crap to hide your real body, yeah?! Am I right?! If your whole body was mist and physical attacks didn't work, you'd never say "That was a close one"!"

Bakugo didn't need Kurogiri to answer to know he was right. Kurogiri tried to move, to get up, but Bakugo let off a little explosion, making the villain fall still once more.

"Don't move! If I decide you're doing anything fishy, I'll blow you straight to kingdom come!" Bakugo threatened, grinning like he was having a little too much fun.

"That's not very hero-like, dude." Kirishima told Bakugo.

Not that Bakugo really cared.

Shigaraki watched the whole thing with his hands clasped before him, as if he wasn't really bothered by what was going on.

"Not only have you beaten our level, but you're all at full health. Today's kids really are something...our League of Villains should be ashamed! Nomu. Take out the explosive brat. We need our escape route back." Shigaraki ordered.

With the warp gate still open, Nomu, his frozen limbs breaking and snapping off, was able to pull himself back through the gate. It ended up with him losing his right arm and leg, but it was as if the creature couldn't feel the pain.

"His body's falling apart, but...he's still moving?!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"Get back, everyone!" All might called before something caught his eye. Nomu's frozen and broken away limbs...were growing back. "What the...?! I thought his quirk was shock absorption."

"I don't remember saying that's all he can do. This is Hyper-regeneration." Shigaraki remarked. "Nomu is a super-powered living sandbag designed to withstand everything you've got."

Nomu, as ordered, moved and moved fast. Even All Might was surprised by his speed. Seeing that Nomu really was making for Bakugo, All Might reacted. To those watching, it was just like a sudden, strong gust of air that whipped past them. One second, Midoriya was calling out to Bakugo in worry, and the next, Bakugo was sitting next to Midoriya.

"Ka-chan!? You dodged that?! Wow!" Midoriya said in awe and surprise.

"I didn't. Shut up, you." Bakugo replied, still in shock at what had happened.

When the smoke cleared, it became clear what had happened. When Nomu had attacked Bakugo, All Might had jumped in, taking the hit while getting Bakugo out of the way.

"This guy doesn't know how to hold back." All Might remarked.

"Anything to save a comrade, right? Just like earlier when, uh...that one...the plain one. He came at me with everything he had. But violence in the name of saving others is admirable? Isn't it, hero?" Shigaraki asked. "You know what, All Might? That pisses me off! Heroes and villains both **thrive** on violence, but we're still categorized. "You're good", "You're evil". That's how it is! Symbol of Peace? Hah! In the end you're just a tool for violence, made to keep us down! And violence only breeds more violence. I'll show the world that by killing you!"

"What a load of hooey. Idealistic criminals have a different sort of fire in their eyes. But you're just enjoying yourself, you big liar." All Might replied.

"You got me. Saw right through." Shigaraki said.

It was impossible not to tell that the man had to be sneering behind that hand over his face.

"It's three-on-five." Todoroki said.

"But Ka-chan showed us the mist man's weak point." Midoriya added.

"These are some brutal dudes, but with us supporting All Might...we can beat 'em back!" Kirishima agreed.

"No! Get out of here."All Might ordered.

"Things wouldn't have gone so well if I hadn't just stepped in." Todoroki told All Might.

"All Might, you're bleeding...and I think your time's u-"

Midoriya caught himself and trailed off. In response to his concern, All Might gave him a thumbs up, silently reassuring him.

"Right you are, Todoroki! So thanks for that! But fear not! Sit back and watch a pro get serious!" All Might told them.

What happened next could be considered comical and anticlimactic all rolled into one. All Might was just psyching himself up, ready to face off with the villains when there was a sudden yell.

"Incoming! Watch out!"

All Might took a step back as something suddenly went flying past him, crashing into the ground before continuing to roll. It took them all a moment to realize that what was rolling around, was a pile of fighting limbs. It was two people fighting and one of them was a huge, mutant-type villain, and the other...

"I said get off!"

With a mighty heave of legs, the villain was sent rocketing off whoever he was fighting with, crashing into a wall with enough force to crack the concrete. A kick of feet brought whoever had been fighting the villain, to their feet. Upon seeing who it was, several pairs of eyes widened.

"Leander!?"

Halyn, who had been in the process of dusting herself off, looked up when her name was called. While her clothes were intact, the parts of her skin left bare by the clothing, was bruised and cut. There were certain parts of her anatomy with such deep bruising that All Might was sure she had to either have bone deep bruising or broken bones despite the fact that didn't appear to be affected by her bruising one bit.

Seeing the stunned faces of her classmates and one of her teachers, Halyn smiled and raised a hand in greeting.

"Oh, hey guys." she greeted brightly.

That moment of distraction cost Halyn for, in the next instant, another villain came charging her from behind. As if she had known he was there the whole time, Halyn jumped, the powerful push of her legs launching her into the air high enough to avoid the grab the man had made for her. Acting with fast reflexes, Halyn reached back onto her belt, drawing a dagger from it's sheath. As she pulled it before her, they could just detect the shine of a wire attached to the hilt of the dagger. With a flick of the wrist, she threw the dagger backwards, but the blade missed the man altogether, flying over his shoulder until it embedded itself deep into a stone wall a good thirty feet behind her.

The villain laughed at her, but a smile simply curled Halyn's lips as she gave the wire a tug.

"Heads up."

Just like during their battle training, there was the whirling sound of the wire being retracted and the villain's eyes widened as Halyn's feet slammed into his face, carrying him backwards along with her. Her classmates winced when the two slammed into the rock face, the man finding himself crushed between Halyn's feet and the rock. With a little flip forward, Halyn landed on her feet, yanking on the wire to free the dagger. She caught the dagger and returned it to her belt, a pleased smile on her face as she glanced back at the now unconscious man. Even her tail gave a pleased curl.

"I do believe that was the last of the ones that followed me." Halyn remarked, more to herself.

Halyn really should have knocked on wood after saying that. A small "epp" left Halyn as another villain popped out of the woodwork, jumping from the top of the rock wall to take her down. Midoriya, Todoroki, Bakugo, and Kirishima could of sworn, just for a moment, that they heard Halyn hiss and spit like a cat as she started wrestling with the guy, the two rolling across the ground. Through a lot of wiggling and thanks to her smaller size, Halyn ended up on top, slamming both feet down on the guys head to crack his head against the ground, knocking him out.

"Phew! Finally. Annoying little thugs, aren't that?" Halyn remarked, getting to her feet.

"Annoying? You look like they handed your ass to you." Bakugo snapped at her.

"I was relying sorely on hand-to-hand combat. Of course I got a little ruffed up. Unlike you, I don't use my quirk unless I absolutely have to." Halyn replied. "Give me some credit for being able to handle multiple villains without the use of my quirk."

"Whatever." Bakugo snapped, scoffing at her.

When he turned his eyes away from her, Halyn's tail perked up and, slowly, a grin curled her lips.

"Oh? Can I take that scoff to mean you don't have any confidence that you could pull off the same feat?" she asked.

Her grin definitely could be classified as the-cat-that-caught-the-canary.

Bakugo's temper blew at that. He snapped around to face her and would have charged right up to her if Kirishima hadn't stopped him. Halyn turned away from him, trying to look innocent of any wrong doing, but the mischievous curl of her tail, gave her away. In the next second, Halyn cleared the grin from her face, moving her attention on to the villains at hand.

"So the pesky kitty found her way back." Shigaraki sneered.

One of Halyn's eyebrow twitched. She wasn't particularly fond of being called "kitty".

"Your way back?" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah. When that warp gate man separated us, I landed in the middle of Aizawa-sensei's fight with the villains. Since my way to the exit was blocked, he had no choice but to let me fight with him. We got separated though when I got a good deal of the mutant-types to follow me away since Aizawa-sensei's quirk doesn't work on them. I was more suited to fighting them anyway." Halyn answered before her eyes scanned the area around them. "Where is Aizawa-sensei?"

"He was badly hurt. Asui and Mineta took him to the exit." Midoriya told her.

"Hurt?" Halyn's attention turned to Midoriya for a moment. It was easy to see the thoughts flying across her brain as her tail slowly sank as if she was upset. "I see."

"Ahah! So the little kitty was unable to help as much as she thought!" Shigaraki mocked, laughing.

Halyn's eyes snapped to Shigaraki, as if she might be angry, but in the next moment, she, herself, laughed. Her hands went to her hips, her tail perking up once more as she grinned back at the man, as if **she** was now mocking **him**.

"I am not so arrogant as to think I could possibly stand the chance of out shining a pro. I was merely thinking of getting myself safely out of here as Aizawa-sensei ordered me. Nothing more." Halyn replied.

Whether or not she actually thought that lie was convincing, they couldn't tell, but All Might, at least, knew it for the fib it was. If Halyn really had only been looking out for herself, had really only been trying to follow Aizawa's order...she wouldn't have come back to the plaza. Whatever she said, Halyn had been trying to help ease Aizawa's load and when she had handled those who had been foolish enough to follow her, she had come back to help him some more, not knowing that he had already been taken down.

She cared more than she was letting on.

"Enough chatter. Let's clear the game and go home!" Shigaraki yelled, charging towards Halyn's classmates.

Despite All Might being right there, Halyn reacted, as if out of instinct. She rammed into Shigaraki's side before he could reach her classmates. Thankfully, she took him by surprise and was able to roll free of him before he could get a grip on her. A few leaps backwards carried her out of reach of the man, until she was crouched a good fifteen feet out of his reach.

"I don't need your help!" Bakugo snapped at her.

"It's not exactly a response I can control. I see danger, my body reacts without my say so. Simple as that." Halyn replied, her eyes fixed on Shigaraki, who was rounding on her, preparing to deal with her.

Halyn's body tensed up, shifting until she had hands braced on the ground, her tail lashing once before her whole body drew still. All Might had seen that stance before, right before she had pounced on one of her classmates during battle training. Unless he stepped in, she would confront Shigaraki without hesitation if it meant protecting her classmates.

In that sense, she was much like Midoriya.

Before either could move, All Might leveled an intense glare their way that had Shigaraki instantly retreating away from Halyn and her classmates. Even Halyn froze under the intensity of that glare. She only relaxed when All Might turned his focus on Nomu, the two clashing with enough force that if either had been a normal man, several bones would have been reduced to dust.

"He's got shock absorption. You already saw it yourself." Shigaraki called to All Might.

Halyn's eyes could barely follow what came next. The punches All Might and Nomu exchanged, flew by so quickly that if it wasn't for her better than average eyesight, she would have only seen a blur. As it was, she lost track of a majority of the hits.

"It's "absorption", not "negation"! So he must have a limit, no? Built to counter me, you say?! Made to withstand everything I've got?! Then I'll just go **beyond** that!" All Might yelled back.

The shock wave produced by the head-on blows, had Halyn lowering herself close to the ground to keep from being knocked back onto her butt. She couldn't believe the power being displayed in front of her. While, yes, her own family consisted of strong heroes, none of them could match All Might in pure strength. Not even close.

"A hero's always ready to smash through trouble!" All Might declared. "Tell me, villain. Do you know the meaning of plus ultra!"

Halyn leaned back, her eyes widening in awe as All Might sent Nomu flying, the creature crashing through the dome of the USJ and vanishing into the sky beyond. Her mouth formed an 'o', her tail flicking once as she continued to stare. She could never hope to stand up to such simple strength, no matter the plots she came up with. Brains could only do so much compared to brawns.

"Like straight outta the comics. He just smashed his way past the absorption. The ultimate bruiser." Kirishima remarked. "And against that power...the regeneration wasn't able to keep up with the rush of attack."

"Yeah...I'm pretty sure I could never come up with a way to get past such power." Halyn said confidently.

And she was pretty confident in that assessment. She was clever, slippery, but that would only take her so far against someone with All Might's strength.

"Yep. I'm slowing down. In my heyday, five of those punches would've been enough. But that was over three hundred hits just now." All Might declared, pounding a fist against his chest.

"Three hundred? Man, my eyes really are too slow to keep up with All Might. I only counted one hundred and seventy-two."

When Halyn said this, all four of her classmates turned to stare at her. The rest of them only saw a blur. How the hell had she been able to keep up enough to count off around half of the hits All Might landed? Didn't cross their minds that Halyn was use to watching her brothers who relied more on speed than strength.

"Well, villain. How about we hurry up and finish this?" All Might asked Shigaraki.

"You cheated!" Shigaraki declared. "You've weakened? Not that I can see...we're completely out-matched. How dare you do that to my Nomu. You cheated! He's not weak at all! They...they lied to me!?"

Shigaraki fiercely begun to scratch at his neck once more. Watching him made Halyn want to scratch herself. She couldn't imagine how awful his neck had to look on any given day.

"Well? Coming to get me?! What happened to clearing the game? If you can take me, then bring it on!" All Might challenged.

Halyn's head tilted to the side as she watched All Might. Was it just her...or did All Might look like he was on his last leg? Surely her eyes were playing tricks on her. It was All Might she was looking at. While normal people had their limits, All Might wasn't normal.

Right?

If that was right...why did she get the bad feeling that she was wrong?

"Right...we're not ready for this level yet." Todoroki said, turning to head away from the fight.

Neither Halyn or Midoriya moved from their spots.

"Midoriya! Leander! We oughta just hang back for now. Rush in and they might take the two of you-"

"Hostage, yeah, I know." Halyn said, cutting off Kirishima.

Her attention, though, remain completely focused on All Might and the villains he was facing. She remained in her crouched position, her tail idly swishing back and forth. She wasn't going to budge, not even an inch. She had a bad feeling building up in her gut and she was not about to ignore it. She had learned, a long time ago, that if she got that bad feeling, it was within her best interest to pay attention.

Cat sense and all that jazz.

"Well? What's keeping you?!" All Might demanded.

"If only we still had Nomu! If only! He was taking those hits so well..." Shigaraki muttered to himself.

"Tomura Shigaraki...calm yourself. It's apparent that Nomu did manage to deal some real damage." Kurogiri said, trying to calm Shigaraki. "The kids are holding back for some reason. And reinforcements from the school are bound to arrive in a few minutes. But if the two of us double-team him, we still have a chance."

"Yes...yes, yes...Right...right...right...We can do this...the **final boss** is standing right there." Shigaraki replied.

While Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki, and Kirishima hadn't heard the conversation between the two villains, Halyn had. If anything, Halyn tensed, her resolve to stay right where she was, only growing.

"All Might'll take care of the big bads. Let's go see if we can help the others." Kirishima said, him, Todoroki, and Bakugo turning to walk away from the battle.

When Midoriya and Halyn didn't move to follow them, Todoroki turned back to look at them.

"Midoriya, Leander." he called.

Neither were listening. Bakugo and Kirishima turned back to look as well, noticing when Halyn tensed, her body shifting as if she was getting ready to pounce.

"This is revenge for Nomu." Shigaraki declared as he and Kurogiri attacked All Might as one.

In the next instant, Midoriya was gone from Halyn's side, having used his quirk to rocket launch himself into the fray in order to save All Might. He yelled at the two villains to get away from All Might as he aimed his attack for the neck armor Kurogiri wore. In response to his attack, Kurogiri opened a warp gate, allowing Shigaraki to pass his hand through him in order to reach for Midoriya. Seeing the threat, Halyn was the next to react.

Shigaraki's eyes widened as he was suddenly grabbed by the collar, Halyn suddenly jumping onto his back to pull him backwards. Fighting against the pull of her weight on his back while still reaching for Midoriya was proving to be a little more than he could handle. Shigaraki reached back, aiming to grab Halyn, but the girl was quicker. She latched onto his wrist with one hand and did something that had her classmates making faces.

She bit him.

Shigaraki cursed, yanking to try to pry his hand free. Halyn released his hand...only to bit his forearm. Another curse left Shigaraki. Halyn knew it wasn't exactly the most mature thing to do, certainly not dignified, but it was distracting Shigaraki enough. Halyn had just release his arm and was leaning back to drag him back with her weight when a bullet suddenly shot past her, taking out the hand reaching for Midoriya. Shigaraki yanked back in pain. Concerned with the incoming fire, Kurogiri reacted quickly, warping Halyn off Shigaraki's back. Next thing Halyn knew, she was, once again, falling through air.

Thankfully, she had only been warped a couple dozen feet and Todoroki was there to catch her. For a moment, Halyn blinked in surprise before she turned her eyes to Todoroki.

"Thanks for the catch, Todoroki." she told him.

"No problem." he replied.

Safe from falling and from Shigaraki's quirk, Halyn turned her attention to figuring out where the bullet had come from. Her eyes quickly found the source as someone spoke.

"Sorry, everyone. We're a little late. We brought everyone we could."

There, at the top of the stairs, stood the principal, Ida, and about ten other teachers. The bullets turned out to be the weapon of choice for one of the teachers, Snipe.

"President of class 1-A, Ida Tenya! Reporting for duty!" Ida called in greeting.

"Good on you, Ida!" Halyn called in praise of her classmate.

Seeing that more pro heroes had arrived as back up, Shigaraki thought it best to retreat. Before he could, though, Snipe rained a hail of bullets down on him and Kurogiri. Several hit their marks, leaving Shigaraki full of holes. Thirteen, though not in the best of shape, stepped in then, trying to capture the two villains with his Black Hole. Kurogiri was faster, drawing Shigaraki into his warp gate. Before the two vanished, Shigaraki left them all with one last word.

"I may have failed here, Symbol of Peace, but next time we meet, you're **dead** , All Might."

With that, the two were gone. While Halyn was naturally a positive person, this whole situation had left a bad taste in her mouth and that wasn't because of Shigaraki's blood on her tongue. She had a sinking feeling that this was not the last time she was going to see Shigaraki. It was only when she tried to turn to check on Midoriya, that she realized something.

Todoroki was still holding her.

"Uh, Todoroki," Todoroki glanced at Halyn who gave him a sheepish smile with her bruised face. "You mind putting me down now?"

"Oh. Right."

Todoroki set her on her feet. Once she was on her feet again, he gave her a once over, his eyes taking in the many bruises coloring her skin. He had to wonder if she was alright, but she seemed just fine. He held his tongue as Halyn turned to Kirishima who was hurrying over to check on Midoriya. Before a word could be said to her, she joined Kirishima, concerned for Midoriya.

"Midoriya! You okay!?" Kirishima called as the two ran towards him.

Both were forced to come up short, a sound like what one would hear from a startled cat, escaping Halyn's lips when a wall of cement suddenly sprouted to being in front of them. Surprised, the two turned to Cementoss, who had formed the wall.

"We need to make sure all you students are safe, so head over to the gate. I'll deal with the wounded." Cementoss told them.

"Makes sense! Roger that! Come on, Leander." Kirishima said, turning to Halyn.

Halyn gave Cementoss a polite bow, telling him a quick, "Please take care of them." before she turned and followed her classmate. The students were gathered up outside, a few different teachers stopping Halyn to inquire if she was alright with the amount of bruising she had. Halyn insisted, every time, that she was fine and felt no pain.

Once they all were gathered, one police officer named Tsukauchi, counted them off, making sure they had everyone.

"Sixteen...seventeen...eighteen...nineteen...twenty...Besides the one with the messed-up legs, looks like they're all unharmed. Though..." Tsukauchi turned to Halyn. Halyn blinked back in questioning as he looked her over. "You sure you're alright, kid?"

Halyn gave him a wide smile, reaching up to somewhat sheepishly scratch her cheek. All eyes of her classmates focused on her as she waved the other hand in front of her.

"Oh, I'm fine. I don't feel a thing. A bath and a few days worth of healing and I'll be molting my way back to perfect." Halyn assured him. "Besides, all of the bruising and cuts were restricted to the areas of my skin not covered by the material of my costume."

"Really?" Uraraka asked.

"Yeah. When I put in my costume design forms, I knew, given my quirk, that I would need a costume that covered the least amount of skin as possible, so I made sure to request that what material there was, be made from a similar material that Aizawa-sensei's scarf is made from. See?" Halyn unzipped her hoodie fully, pulling it back to show that all of her bruising stopped wherever her skin was covered by material. "The stockings, gloves, and even the bottoms and top, are made from the same material. I needed something that could really take a beating and hold up. It's why I didn't understand why Aizawa-sensei looked at me when he said something about costumes not being suited for today's exercises."

"Wow, you really thought out your costume, Ha-chan." Asui remarked.

"You should see all the little goodies I requested they put in the inside pockets." Halyn said, holding out her hoodie to show off the dozens of pockets that lined the inside of the hoodie. "I try not to rely on my quirk if I can help it."

"And you ended up in the plaza with Aizawa-sensei?" Sero asked.

"Yeah. I was, literally, dropped right in the middle of the fight. Not exactly a pleasant experience, but definitely a learning one." Halyn replied, zipping her hoodie back up.

"As long as you think you're alright enough to back to school and not directly to the nurse's office." Tsukauchi told her.

"I assure you, sir, I'm fine. I honestly don't feel a lick of pain." Halyn promised.

"Good. We're gonna get you kids back to the classroom for now. This is no time to take your statements." Tsukauchi said, turning to look at all of the students.

"What about Aizawa-sensei? Is he...is he alright?" Halyn asked.

She had been the one to end up with Aizawa, to fight along side him. She had also been the one to make the choice to try to lead some of the villains away. For all she knew, he could have been distracted by her sudden disappearance, leading to him getting hurt. She would never forgive herself if that was the case. Seeing how concerned she was, Tsukauchi pulled his cellphone out, putting in a call to the hospital to check on Aizawa.

He news he gave them was far from reassuring.

"Both arms were smashed to splinters. His face is also fractured. Thankfully, he doesn't have any brain damage. But...his eye sockets have been pulverized. There's a chance he may suffer long-term loss of vision. Or so I hear." Tsukauchi told them.

Halyn pressed a hand to her stomach. It felt like her guts were twisting. She swallowed back the bile rising in her throat and thought positively. At least Aizawa was alive and with Recovery Girl working with the school, he would recover. She just had to have faith that his eye sight would recover as well.

"And Thirteen-sensei and All Might?" Halyn asked. "What about them?"

"Thirteen has terrible lacerations across his back and upper arms, but his life isn't in danger. All Might's injuries aren't life threatening either. It's possible that Recovery Girl's healing will be enough for him, so he's gone off to the nurse's office." Tsukauchi answered.

"And Deku?" Uraraka asked.

"What of Midoriya?" Ida added.

"Midori...Ah! It seems he also made it to the nurse's office in time. And I actually have business there myself. Sansa!" Tsukauchi called, turning to one of his officers. "I'll leave the rest to you."

"Detective."

Tsukauchi turned to Halyn when she called out. There wasn't a smile on Halyn's face as she gripped the front of her hoodie.

"If...If you see them all, could you please give all of the teachers and Midoriya my well wishes?" she asked.

With a smile on his face, Tsukauchi reached out, patting the top of Halyn's head. Halyn's tail curled in surprise and when he removed his hand, she looked up at him.

"I'll make sure to do that. You get on to class." he told her.

A smile curled Halyn's lips and she gave a nod. She thanked him before she turned to go join her classmates, her tail swaying happily behind her. He watched her walk away, the principal and a few teachers watching as well.

"We'll need to completely revamp our security systems." the principal remarked.

"Teleportation quirks are rare enough. Shame one of them had to go and turn villain." Midnight added.

"Detective Tsukauchi!" Tsukauchi turned as one of his officers came up to him, saluting him. "I have a report. We've apprehended what seems to be a villain in a thicket about four hundred meters from here!"

"In what condition?" Tsukauchi asked.

"He seems unharmed! And he didn't resist arrest. Oddly enough, he's not responding in any way. He appears to be mute." the officer replied.

Tsukauchi turned to the principal then.

"Principal. I'd like to go over the school with a fine-toothed comb, if you don't mind." Tsukauchi said.

"Ah, of course! I'm sure some won't be happy, but the police certainly have jurisdiction! Investigations are your field of expertise! Do what you feel is necessary!" the principal replied.

Tsukauchi nodded. The day had been a long one with the students of 1-A facing trials they had not been prepared to face just yet. but everyone had come out of it in one piece.

In a small bar miles away, that wasn't exactly the case.

"Owww..." The low groan left Shigaraki as he was laid carefully on the floor of the bar. "I was shot. Both arms and both legs. We got crushed. He got Nomu too. Our cannon fodder was taken down in a flash...even those kids were strong! The Symbol of Peace is in perfect health! You were wrong, Master."

"No, I wasn't." This voice came from a monitor set up at the end of the bar. "We merely got ahead of ourselves."

"Yes...we underestimated him. Good thing that League of Villains came cheap." came a second voice from the monitor. "Anyway...what of our creation? Nomu? Did you retrieve him?"

"He was sent flying. And unless we ascertain his precise coordinates, no amount of warping will let us find him. I just couldn't spare the time back there." Kurogiri explained.

"After all the trouble we went through to make him as strong as All Might. Well...that's too bad...a real shame." said the voice Shigaraki called Master.

"Strong...right...There was one...one kid who seemed just as fast as All Might. And...another...annoying little kitty! She bit me!" Shigaraki muttered.

"Oh?" Master asked.

"Without those two, we might have killed All Might. But those kids...those brats...!" Shigaraki added.

"No use crying over spilled milk! This endeavor was not a complete loss. Find strong troops! Take all the time you need! We can't move freely! That's why we need a **symbol** like you. Tomura Shigaraki! Next time, the world will know of the **terror** you represent!" Master told him.

While, back at UA, Halyn and her classmates were reflecting on the day and the fear they had learned when coming face to face with villains, they had no idea that things were about to get a whole lot worse. But, sitting there on a bench in the changing room, Halyn got a really bad feeling in her stomach. If she knew anything better than anything else in the world, it was one thing.

Her gut instinct was almost always correct.

Things wouldn't remain peaceful for long.

END

Kyandi: I've had bone deep bruising before. It hurts.

Halyn: Really now? I can't tell.

Kyandi: And that is for a reason.

Halyn: Yes, well...don't you have other chapters to edit?

Kyandi: Crap! I do! We're cutting it short today, guys. So everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We will be back soon.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	5. The Next Battle

Kyandi: I am here!

Halyn: ...

Kyandi: What? Something wrong?

Halyn: ...No All Might inpressionations, please.

Kyandi: No good?

Halyn: Not at all.

Kyandi: Well...at least your honest. Anyway, I still have more chapters to edit, so we'll get on with it. Everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Kyandi: Sorry, this chapter is a bit on the short side.

Chapter 5 Next Battle

Classes the next day were canceled due to the incident at the USJ. Despite that, Halyn, like her classmates, found she couldn't rest easy. She was glad when, the following day, she was able to get back to class. She was sitting at her desk, book in hand, when Ida came flying up to front of the classroom.

"Everyone! Morning homeroom's about to begin. To your seats!" Ida called.

"We're sitting. You're the only one up." Sero told him.

Grumbling to himself, Ida made his way to his desk, the others grinning and laughing lowly. Halyn smiled herself, as she put her book away. Not moments later, the door of the classroom opened and, to the class's surprise, Aizawa, heavily bandaged, walked into the classroom.

"Morning." he greeted as if he didn't currently look like a mummy.

"You're back already, Aizawa-sensei!?" the class yelled.

"Talk about being a pro." Halyn said in awe.

"Glad to see you doing well, sensei!" Ida called.

From the way Aizawa wobbled up to his desk, Halyn wouldn't call it "doing well". It was more as if he had no choice but to continue trudging on. Something Halyn could really respect.

"My welfare isn't important." Aizawa said. Halyn really wanted to protest that that simply wasn't true, but she doubted he would listen to her. After all, he was the pro, not her. "Because your fight is far from over."

"Our fight?" Bakugo asked.

"Don't tell me..." Midoriya started.

"More villains!?" Mineta whined, already covering his head.

Halyn doubted that that was what this was about. After all, Aizawa had a way with freaking them out only for it to turn out to be something completely mundane.

"UA's sports festival is fast approaching!" Aizawa announced.

 _And there it is. Completely ordinary, once again_ , Halyn thought, shaking her head as an idle smile fell on her lips.

"Come on! We just had that villain sure about this?" someone asked.

"It's necessary. To demonstrate that UA's crisis management protocols are sound. That's the thinking, apparently." Aizawa told them. "Compare to past years, there'll be five times the police presence. Anyhow, our Sports Festival is... **The greatest opportunity you'll get**. It's not an event that can be canceled over a few villains."

"You sure about that?" Mineta asked.

"Mineta...are you telling me you've never seen UA's Sports Festival?!" Midoriya asked.

"Of course I have. That's not what I mean." Mineta replied.

"Oh. But Ha-chan, you aren't from Japan, so you might not know." Midoriya said, turning several pairs of eyes to Halyn.

"Actually, UA's Sports Festival was always a big event in my house. Even in Italy, we still liked to watch. UA is a top tier school no matter where in the world you are and we don't have something like the Sports Festival in Italy. Well...not so big of an event, anyway, so I was always extremely intrigued by the event. I've been looking forward to this since I got my acceptance letter from the school." Halyn replied.

She remembered so many years, growing up, in which she would find herself on the couch with her brothers, intent on the screen as they watched UA's Sports Festival. She even remembered how, when she was ten, she declared that she would go to the school that hosted the event. Since then, that had been her goal and now, here she sat.

"Our Sports Festival is one of Japan's biggest events! The Olympics were once the **world's** sports festival. The whole country would be whipped into a frenzy over them. But as you know, that tradition has shrunk in scale to a shell of it's former self. And as far as Japan's concerned, what's taken the place of the Olympics is the UA Sports Festival!" Aizawa said.

"Basically, the nation's top heroes will be there as scouts, watching to see which of us have the potential to be recruited as sidekicks." Halyn remarked.

"They'll be looking to hire us as sidekicks after we graduate. That's how it's done." Kaminari agreed.

"And a lot of those sidekicks never manage to go solo. They're sidekicks **forever**. That'll be you, Kaminari, you dunce." Jiro remarked.

"Naturally, you'll gain valuable experience and popularity if you're picked up by a big-name hero. But your time is limited. Show the pros what you're made of here, and you'll make futures for yourselves. This happens once a year...so you've got three chances. If you're hoping to become a hero, this is an event you can't miss!" Aizawa told them.

It was an event that Halyn had been preparing herself for. And one that had the class abuzz for the next three class periods. Come lunch, it was all the class could talk about.

"Even after what we just went through...this has got me so freaking pumped! Kirishima said.

"If we show our stuff here, that's one big step towards going pro!" Sero added.

Halyn watched her excited classmates as she gathered what she would need for lunch. Most of the class seemed to be in an uproar. It was nice to see them all excited and happy after what had happened. Even Ida seemed pumped up.

"Everyone's so excited." Midoriya remarked.

"And you aren't? This is our chance to add our names to the ranks of heroes. Of course we're in high spirits!" Ida proclaimed.

"You got a funny way of showing it, Ida. Weird." Asui remarked when Ida's way of showing his excitement, was tensing up to the point he was shaking.

"Yeah I get that! But..." Midoriya trailed off when Uraraka called out to him and Ida.

"Deku. Ida...at this Sports Festival...let's do our best!" she said, her face reflecting her tensed anticipation.

"What the...? You're not looking very Uraraka, Uraraka." Mina remarked.

Halyn, a smile on her face, watched as Uraraka tried to lead her classmates in a cheer of "I'm gonna crush this!". The silliness of the whole thing had Halyn shaking her head as she grabbed her wallet from her school bag.

"Hey, Ha-chan!" Halyn looked up when Uraraka called out to her. Uraraka hurried over to Halyn's desk. "You wanna have lunch with us?"

"Oh...I'll catch up with the three of you. I have something I need to do first." Halyn replied.

Leaving her friend staring after her with a confused look, Halyn left the classroom just ahead of Todoroki. When she turned to head in the opposite direction of the lunchroom, Todoroki stopped to look after her, wondering what she was off to do. In the end, he dismissed it as not his business and went on ahead.

Halyn, not paying attention to who she passed or the looks thrown her way, hurried down the hall, hoping he would catch the person she was looking for before he got somewhere she couldn't follow. Thankfully, as she rounded a corner, she saw him up ahead and quickened her pace to catch up with him.

"Aizawa-sensei!"

Aizawa, when he heard Halyn's voice, turned to find the girl hurrying towards him. When she was sure she had his attention, she stopped a good ten feet from him. For a moment, her eyes merely took in his bandaged face before her expression tensed and she bowed to him.

"Leander? What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Aizawa-sensei!"

Aizawa could only stare at Halyn. He had no idea what she was going on about or what she had to be sorry for, but it wasn't like Halyn to do something for no reason what so ever, so he knew there had to be a reason behind this sudden out burst.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I thought if I could lead some of the villains away, it would lighten your load, just a bit. If I, in any way, caused you to be distracted because I suddenly vanished, then I am so terribly sorry!" Halyn told him.

Now he got it.

Halyn was concerned that she had, in someway, lead to, at least, a few of his injuries. It only went to show that the girl really had a kind heart. She had probably spent all of the last two days blaming herself and mentally ripping herself a new one. Of course, she couldn't control where she had been warped to and she had done her best against the villains. Even now, she was still covered in bruises here and there, refusing to go see Recovery Girl for something so minor.

Halyn didn't move from her bowed position, her tail hanging in what he was sure was shame. Heaving a sigh, Aizawa turned towards her and, careful of his injuries, removed an arm from it's sling. It was no more than a soft thump on the head with his cast, but it had Halyn looking up at him in surprise.

"Relax, kid. None of these were your fault. I was well aware that you probably had some kind of plan in that head of yours. That's your strong suit, after all. Besides, I told you to take any chance you got to get out of there. So stop blaming yourself. You got a lot of more important things to focus your attention on other than me." he told her.

For a moment, she started at him in a mix of awe and gratitude. Then, finally, a smile curled her lips and she gave him a nod, smiling brightly at him while her tail curled.

"Right." she agreed. "The Sports Festival."

"Right. Now get going. You're keeping us both from lunch." he told her, pulling his arm back and carefully tucking it away in it's sling.

"Yes, sir! Thank you, Aizawa-sensei." Halyn said, giving him another quick bow before she turned on her heel and took off down the hall, her tail happily swaying after her.

Aizawa watched her for a moment, somewhat amused and pleased. Many of his students had good hearts or a good head on their shoulders. Leander Halyn had both. Even though he still didn't know what her quirk was, he was sure that she would make a good hero one day. A kind hero truly concerned with the well being of the people around her.

He couldn't wait to see what she, like the rest of her class, brought to the table at the Sports Festival.

-0-0-0-0-

"All Might invited him to have lunch with him?"

Halyn stared at Ida and Uraraka. She had just, moments before, joined them for lunch, the three standing in line for their food. When she had joined them and saw that Midoriya was missing, she had asked where he had went. Uraraka and Ida had then filled her in that All Might had asked Midoriya to have lunch with him.

"Yeah. Wonder what he wants with Deku." Uraraka said.

"I heard Midoriya, along with Leander, dashed in to help when All Might was attacked. Maybe it's about that?" Ida suggested.

"I rushed in more to help Midoriya than All Might. When I saw Midoriya in danger, my body kind of just moved. Next thing I know, I'm clinging to Handy Mandy like a spider monkey." Halyn replied, sheepishly scratching one cheek.

"Handy Mandy?" Uraraka asked.

"You know, that villain with all the hands all over him?" Halyn explained, Uraraka catching on. "Yeah, him. Anyway, I think it might have something more to do with what Tsuyu said and that it's because All Might and Midoriya have similar, super-strength oriented quirks."

"She has a point. Perhaps All Might has taken a liking to him. I wouldn't be surprised." Ida said.

Unknown to them, ahead of them in line, Todoroki was listening to their conversation.

"Anyway, what was it you had to do before lunch, Ha-chan?" Uraraka asked.

"Oh, that." Halyn folded her arms over her chest, her tail dropping to somewhat curl between her legs. Her friends took that to mean that she was embarrassed, though her face didn't show it. "I had to go see Aizawa-sensei."

"What?! What for? You aren't in trouble, are you?" Ida asked.

Halyn waved a hand in front of her face as she shook her head.

"No, no. I'm not in trouble. I...I went to apologize." Halyn admitted.

"Apologize? For what?" Uraraka asked.

"Well..." Halyn heaved a sigh, figuring she might as well just explain it. "You two know I ended up in the middle of his fight with the villains during the incident, right?"

"Yeah." Uraraka confirmed.

"Well, there was a moment when I had most of the mutant-types focused on me, so I took the chance...and I ran." When her classmates stared at her, Halyn gave them a smile. "It's not like you think. I didn't run away. I lured them away from the plaza, hoping to lighten Aizawa-sensei's load. When I got back and I found out how badly he had been injured, I thought that maybe, just maybe, part of those injuries were because he got distracted when I vanished suddenly."

"So you...you blamed yourself." Uraraka said.

"Yeah..."

Halyn rubbed the back of her neck. If truth be told, she still kind of felt bad, but she knew now that she wasn't to blame for Aizawa's injuries. She felt more sorry for Aizawa and the fact that he had to walk around in the state he was in.

"You know that wasn't your fault, Leander." Ida told her.

"Yeah, I know that... **now**. Aizawa-sensei told me the same thing. I still felt like I had to apologize. My mother always told me that even if you aren't sure, if you think there **might** be a chance that it's your fault, it's best to talk to the person and apologize if it is your fault." Halyn replied. "I just wouldn't have felt right if I didn't apologize."

Ida and Uraraka could understand and didn't push any further. The three grabbed their lunches and retreated to their seats.

"So, Ha-chan, are your brothers going to come to the Sports Festival?" Uraraka asked.

"I'll ask them, but, more than likely, they'll end up watching it on the T.V. Hero business keeps them pretty busy back home. Not to mention that by the time the Sports Festival rolls around, they're probably going to be really mad at me." Halyn replied.

"Why's that?" Uraraka asked.

"Uh, I...I kinda, sorta...didn't tell them about the incident at the USJ?"

" **You didn't?!** "

Halyn smiled sheepishly at her friends, holding her hands up in front of her. The guard at the desk of her apartment building had reacted the same way when she had made him swear not to say anything to her brothers about the whole incident. Her brothers would find out soon enough.

"It's not a big deal. It's just...if they found out that something like that happened within just my first month of school here, they would want to pull me from school. I just want to be able to prove that I can survive something like that, without their interference, and continue with life. They'll find out soon enough." Halyn explained.

Whether Ida and Uraraka agreed or not, it was Halyn's choice. So they left it at that and moved on to other subjects. After lunch, they headed back to class and made it through the rest of the day. At the end of class, they all got a big surprise.

Uraraka, who had just opened the door to their classroom, to leave, froze when she was confronted with a mob of students just standing there, waiting.

"What's going on?!" Uraraka exclaimed.

"No way out! What're they here for?" Mineta asked.

"Scoping out the competition, duh, small fry." Bakugo replied.

Insulted and upset, Mineta turned a hurt and insulted face on Midoriya, pointing at Bakugo as if to say, "You see what your childhood friend just said!?". Midoriya could only give him a sheepish smile in return while Bakugo walked right up to the door way, facing the other students outside.

"Cuz we're the kids who survived a villain attack. Makes sense they'd want a look before the Sports Festival. No point, though. Move aside, cannon fodder." Bakugo added, sourly.

"Can we please not resort to calling those we don't even know "cannon fodder"?" Ida complained from behind Bakugo.

Halyn, who was still at her desk, collecting her things, looked up. Leave it to Bakugo to issue a challenge and succeeded in making every student outside the classroom hate every student inside. She shook her head as she tucked the last of her books into her bag and headed for the door.

"It's true. We came to get a look, but you sure are modest. Are all the kids in the hero course like this one?"

One student, a boy named Shinso, stepped to the front of the crowd to face Bakugo. Even with Bakugo making a face that ranged around an eight on Halyn's Awful Faces radar, the boy seemed unfazed.

"Gotta say, I'm a little disillusioned if this is what you're offering. Those of us who didn't make the hero course are stuck in General Studies and the other tracks. There're quite a few of us. Did you know that?" Shinso asked. "Depending on the results of this Sports Festival, they might consider transferring us to the hero course. I understand the **reverse** is also possible for you. Scoping out the competition? For a General Studies kid like me, this'll be the perfect chance to knock you off your pedestals. Consider this a declaration of war."

So daring.

Halyn would give him one thing, he certainly had guts and she liked that. It meant a person was willing to fight for their dreams and that always spoke of a person with true strength.

Suddenly another student spoke up from the crowd, this one from the neighboring hero course class.

"Hey. I'm from Class 1-B, next door! Heard you guys fought some villains. Wanted to find out more, but all I'm seeing is this arrogant bastard!" he yelled. "You better not make fools of the hero course at this thing!"

"Arrogant bastard? That'd be you, little Ka-chan." Halyn remarked from behind Bakugo, who scoffed back at her.

"Whatever." Bakugo retorted before shoving his way past the students outside the classroom.

"Wait, you jerk. What're you doing to us? Thanks to you we've got a whole mob of haters now!" Kirishima complained at Bakugo.

"I don't give a crap. I'm heading for the top. Why should I care?" Bakugo retorted before he was gone.

"Tch..! So straight forward and manly." Kirishima remarked.

"The top...he's not wrong." Tokoyami agreed.

"Don't let him play you! All he's doing is winning us enemies!" Kaminari snapped.

"In a way, Bakugo has a point." All eyes turned to Halyn as she stepped up to the doorway to leave as well. "Whether Bakugo said all of that or not, there are tons of students in the other classes that are going to dislike us because we were put above them just because we managed not to get killed when villains came after All Might. It seems ridiculous to us because we had to fight through that, but that's how it is. I say we should take that challenge and use it to push ourselves to be better. So I'm going to look at this as a chance to grow. Whatever people think of me, I'm not here to try to please everyone. I'm here to be a hero. Plain and simple."

With that, Halyn gave the students blocking the doorway, a wide smile and asked nicely that they step out of the way so she could leave. Surprised by her opposite-of-Bakugo attitude, the students before her stepped back, giving Halyn a path through the crowd. Halyn, with a brilliant smile, bowed to them in thanks.

"Thank you. Have a nice day." she told them before she, too, left.

Midoriya watched her in surprise. While Halyn and Bakugo had different outlooks, different view points on what drove them to their goal, their goals were the same; the top. Midoriya wasn't sure what drove Halyn to be a hero, she didn't share, but he could tell that it drove her just as hard as everyone else's reasons. Everyone had a reason, whatever it may be, and everyone was going to try their hardest.

It was only right that Midoriya try his hardest too.

The next two weeks was a buzz with training and preparing. Determined to give their all, the whole of Class 1-A prepared themselves, each in their own way. Some teamed up to help each other while others trained alone. Halyn was one of the few that spent the next two weeks training in secret. She had a huge advantage since no one, not even her own teachers and classmates, knew what her quirk was. She was going to use that to her advantage and see how far in the Sports Festival she could get without revealing it.

She would reveal her quirk, but she would do it at a time of her choosing.

She couldn't wait to see everyone's faces when they found out.

END

Kyandi: Once again, sorry that the chapter is so short.

Halyn: It's more of a filler chapter to move things along.

Kyandi: Right. It was too much to add to the previous or next chapter, so it became a chapter of it's own.

Halyn: No worries, though. We have another chapter after this.

Kyandi: Yep. So I'm going to go do that. Everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We will return shortly.

Kyandi: Bye-bye


	6. Sports Festival Begins

Kyandi: See? We told you we'd be back.

Halyn: She's really gotten into writing this story.

Kyandi: A little too much, I'm afraid. I would love some reviews telling me what you guys think of the story so far.

Halyn: She's feeling a little insecure.

Kyandi: Only a little. Oh! Before I forget, I now have an email set up for all of you lovelies who would love to shoot me an email. I promise to answer all emails within a day of arrival. The email address is on my bio page.

Halyn: She's trying to give you all multiple ways to contact her if you want to.

Kyandi: Right. So with that said, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 6 Sports Festival Begins

"Gather round, mass media! It's time once again to see the high schoolers you know and love revel in their youth. It's UA's Sports Festival. Everybody...are you ready?!"

Today was the day.

As Present Mic's voice rang out over the arena, Halyn could practically feel her fur standing on end in anticipation. She was currently gathered in the prep room with the rest of her class, waiting for their call to enter the stadium. She was sure that her excitement and anticipation was going to make her start bouncing about the room, she was ready to get moving.

Instead, she settled for running her fingers through the fur on her tail.

It always worked wonders for calming her.

"Is everyone good and ready?! The event's about to begin!" Ida called in warning.

"Wish I coulda worn my costume." Mina remarked.

"They're not allowed, in the interest of fairness." Ojiro replied.

"Especially Ha-chan's. Now **that's** a deadly costume, for more reasons than one." Mina said, looking over at Halyn. "Though the way she wears her gym clothes isn't any better."

Halyn, blinking in innocent confusion, looked up. Like everyone else in their class, she was wearing the gym uniform. Unlike everyone else, Halyn had the pants legs folded up to mid thigh and she wore the jersey half way unzipped to show off the sports bra-like top she wore under it. A top that was surely a size or two too small for her chest for it looked like she was about to spill out of it. To top it off, she had added a pair of black, calf-high, toeless and heelless boots that molded to her calf like a second skin.

Mineta had been staring and drooling since she had entered the room.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Halyn asked.

"Only that you show way too much skin." Mina replied.

"Yeah, well...if I explain, yet again, how it's kind of necessary given the nature of my quirk, you're all just going to question me, again, on what my quirk is and I'm not telling." Halyn replied.

With that, Halyn turned away from her friend, her tail curling in amusement when Mina replied with, "Stingy!" to her remark. Halyn wasn't about to give up her biggest advantage in this festival.

"Midoriya." Todoroki suddenly calling out to Midoriya, had everyone turning to watch.

"Todoroki...what is it?" Midoriya asked.

"Objectively speaking, I'm stronger than you. More capable." Todoroki said.

"Oh, yes, because that's **such** a good way to start a conversation." Halyn muttered lowly to Uraraka and Asui, who nodded in agreement with her.

"All Might's got his eye on you, doesn't he. Now I'm not about to pry into why that is, but I will beat you." Todoroki announced.

"Ooh! A declaration of war from the strongest in the class?!" Kaminari remarked.

"Hey, man, why pick a fight now?! We're about to go on." Kirishima said, laying a hand on Todoroki's shoulder.

Todoroki shrugged his hand off, his attention focused solely on Midoriya.

"I really don't care. I'm not pretending to be anyone's friend here." Todoroki replied.

"Todoroki. I'm not sure why you felt the need to tell me you'll beat me. You're clearly stronger and I can't measure up to most of the others here in skill. Objectively speaking, even..." Midoriya trailed off.

"Don't be so negative, Midoriya. no need-"

"But!" Midoriya cut Kirishima off to continue. "Everyone...even the kids from the other courses are aiming for the top. And I'm...well, lemme say this. I'm **not** gonna fall behind. I'm going for it too. With everything I've got!"

It made for a tense opening to the Sports Festival, but Halyn liked the feeling. It made her feel even more ramped up for the festival. With the declaration of war out of the way, they made their way to where they would enter the stadium.

"The first year stage. The students are coming out! It's UA's Sports Festival! The one time each year when our fledgling heroes compete in a ruthless grand battle! First up...you know who I'm talkin' about! The miraculous rising stars who brushed off a villain attack with their steely willpower! The first years of the hero course! It's Class A!"

When Present Mic called their class, Halyn entered the stadium at the head of her class with Midoriya on one side and Ida on the other. Once she was out in the sunlight, Halyn's eyes scanned the mass amount of people in the stands, watching them.

So this was what it felt like being on the other end of the TV screen.

Halyn was sure her heart would jump right out of her chest, it was thumping so hard.

"What a crowd." Midoriya said, shaking in his shoes.

"And we're expected to put on the best performance we can in front of so many spectators! I suppose this is merely one more necessary skill if we hope to become heroes." Ida remarked.

"They're really giving us too much credit...but we won't let it shake us, right, Bakugo?" Kirishima asked.

"Nope. Just gets me pumped up." Bakugo replied.

Halyn wasn't quite sure she agreed. She wasn't usually one for the lime light, but here, right then, if she hoped to go anywhere in the hero world, than she was just going to have to deal with it.

The rest of the classes were introduced before the ref for the first years was announced to be Midnight. Halyn took one look at Midnight's costume and really couldn't see why some people complained about her costume. Midnight looked half naked, even if she wasn't really. At least Halyn's looked somewhat decent.

"Now for the Athlete's Oath!" Midnight called.

"So that's the R-Rated Hero, Midnight." Halyn remarked.

"R-Rated? Should she really be in a high school?" Tokoyami asked.

"Shut it. Pipe down! Your student representative is from Class 1-A, Bakugo Katsuki!" Midnight announced.

Halyn had a really bad feeling that Bakugo was going to do something that would turn every one of the students around her and her classmates, against them. Sure enough, only one thing left Bakugo's mouth and it did exactly what Halyn feared it would.

"The Athlete's Oath...make no mistake about it. I'm gonna take first place!" Bakugo announced.

Halyn heaved a sigh as several of the other students started yelling at Bakugo, lumping the rest of Class 1-A in with him.

"Why must you show contempt for the dignity of this event!?" Ida demanded of Bakugo.

"Because he wouldn't be Bakugo if he didn't." Halyn replied. "Besides...I think, in his own way, he's pushing himself too."

Midoriya turned a surprised look on Halyn. He was surprised she had picked up on that. Then again, Halyn seemed like the kind of person that wanted to see the good in those around her.

"Now, without any delay, let's get the first event started." Midnight called out.

"Everything at UA's always without delay." Uraraka remarked.

"Of course it is. Heroes don't have the luxury of taking their time." Halyn replied.

"Huh...you got a point." Uraraka conceded.

Giving Uraraka a smile, Halyn turned back to watch the board behind Midnight as a virtual slot was sent spinning.

"These are the qualifiers! It's in this stage that so many are sent home crying every year!" Midnight called out. "And the fateful first event this year is...this!"

Midnight gestured to the screen behind her as the slot spun to a stop, landing on "Obstacle Course Race". Halyn let out a low, "huh". It wasn't a bad noise, just one of intrigue. Yeah, she was sure she could pass this with little issue.

"It's a race between every member of all eleven classes! The course is a four-kilometer lap around the stadium itself! Our school preaches freedom in all things! Heh heh heh...so as long as you don't go off the course, anything is fair game!" Midnight announced. "Racers to your positions."

Halyn made sure she ended up on the outside of the group. For her and her intents, it was better to be caught between a wall and people, than several people elbowing her from all sides. Midoriya, on the other hand, ended up in the thick of it. When the light hit green and the start buzzer rang, everyone surged forward as one. It didn't take Midoriya long to realize that the starting gate was narrow so that it would act as the first filter.

Something Todoroki took full advantage of.

The moment he cleared the gate, he froze the ground, catching several off guard. He didn't however, catch everyone. Several, mostly his own classmates, made it past his ice, one way or another. But even kids from other classes made it past.

"I expected it from our class, but more made it past than I thought would." Todoroki remarked to himself.

"Good thinking, staying two steps behind Todoroki. Now it's my turn!" Mineta called, using his balls to avoid touching the ice. "How about a taste of my killer-"

Mineta was cut off when the next obstacle made an appearance, knocking Mineta off to the side. Standing before the students, was the robot villains from the entrance exam. There were even several of the zero-pointers. They blocked the way to the rest of the course.

"So these are the faux villains they used for everyone else's test?" Todoroki asked.

"Where'd they find the money for these?" Yaoyorozu demanded.

Todoroki had to admit that they were big, but he kind of wished the teachers had prepared something a little more threatening. It was a little disappointing. Dropping to one knee, he touched the ground, the temperature of the air around him, dropping.

"Especially because dear old **dad** is watching." Todoroki remarked to himself.

With an up swing of his hand, he froze the robots in place before quickly dashing between their legs to continue on.

"He stopped 'em! We can get through that gap!" someone called to the others.

"Bad idea. I froze them in pretty unstable positions." Todoroki called back. "So they'd fall."

" _1-A's Todoroki! Busting through and sabotaging the others in one move! This guy's_ _ **cold**_ _!_ " Present Mic called out over the stadium.

Unknown to Todoroki, Halyn had already slipped past the robots, unseen to everyone.

The next people to get past the robots was Bakugo, followed by Sero and Tokoyami. Several others, mostly from Class 1-A, followed behind them, finding one way or another past the robots.

" _The current leaders of the pack are overwhelmingly from Class A!_ " Present Mic called.

" _Class A knows there's no time to hesitate. They've been exposed to the outside world, up close and personal. They've had that_ _ **fear**_ _planted in them and they've endured it. Each has grown from that experience and forgotten how to hesitate._ " Aizawa added in.

Down in the course, Midoriya was dodging attacks from the robots when he spotted an armor plate that had been knocked free of one of the robots Todoroki froze. Thinking he could make use of it, Midoriya grabbed it. Using it as a weapon so he wouldn't have to use his quirk so early on, Midoriya took down one of the robots. Sure that he could keep this up, Midoriya worked his way through. The next obstacle, though, was a little more difficult.

" _So the first barrier was a piece of cake?! How about the second?! Fall and you're out! You gotta crawl across if you wanna make it! This is The Fall!_ " Present Mic announced.

Before the students stretched a wide ravine with pillars spread throughout. Each of the pillars were connected by ropes. For some, like Asui, it was an easy enough task. For others, like Todoroki and Ida, it was all a matter of balance.

And then there was Bakugo, who flew over the whole thing with the use of his quirk.

Uraraka and Mina stood there for a moment, watching. Hearing fast approaching footsteps behind them, the two turned, only for a gust of wind to hit them. They didn't see anyone or anything that could have caused it, only footprints in the sand that came to a stop just short of them.

"What was that?" Mina asked.

"No idea." Uraraka replied.

The two turned back to the challenge at hand, refusing to be left behind.

" _The leads keep breaking ahead, while the rest of the pack is bunched up! Our racers don't know how many will get to move on, so all they can do is aim for first place! And our leader has reached the final barrier! That is to say, this minefield! It's a deadly afghan carpet! A quick glance is enough to reveal the mines' locations! So keep both eyes open and watch your step! I should mention...our mines don't pack a deadly punch, but they're loud and flashy enough that you might need a change of underwear when it's all over._ " Present Mic announced.

While Todoroki and Bakugo had begun to pick their way through the minefield, Midoriya was only half way through the the second obstacle, the armor plate from the robot, weighting him down.

"They've already made it that far? Quickly! Gotta keep moving!" Midoriya said, encouraging himself as he tried to move himself down across the ropes of the second barrier.

Up ahead of him, Todoroki was trying to pick his way across the mine field, trying to set off as few of the mines as he possibly could. It didn't take much for him to figure out that the ones in the lead were the ones most at a disadvantage. He would have to take it slow. He had no sooner thought this when a familiar voice reached his ears, making him look back.

"Haha, this crap can't slow **me** down!" With this yell, Bakugo flew past Todoroki. "You. Your declaration of war was to the **wrong** person."

It became a fight for first from there, Bakugo and Todoroki fighting to keep the lead. As they fought to take the lead from the other, Midoriya was reaching the beginning of the mine field, the piece of the robot's armor, still under one arm.

Midoriya's eyes flew around the field, working quickly to try to figure out a way to get past the mine field and up to the front. It was then that an idea hit him. On their own, the mines were little more than an annoyance meant to knock the students off balance, but if one put several of them together, the explosion would become bigger and flashier.

So that's what Midoriya did.

The explosion that rocked the mine field, had everyone turning to see what had caused it only to find Midoriya, riding the robot armor piece, flying through the air, rushing towards the finish line. In just a moment, Midoriya flew past Bakugo and Todoroki, quickly approaching the ground. Both Bakugo and Todoroki increased their efforts to take back first. Todoroki knew it would create a path that the other students could then use, but he used his ice to coat the ground anyway.

Just as Midoriya was starting to approach the ground, Todoroki and Bakugo started to pass them, but Midoriya wasn't done. Twisting his body while grabbing a hand full of cables that were sticking out of the armor piece, he swung with all his might, banging the armor piece against the ground and setting off more mines.

The resulting explosion blew Todoroki and Bakugo off to the side while sending Midoriya rocketing forward. Midoriya hit the ground in a roll and popped back to his feet, sprinting off to take first place. Behind him, Todoroki and Bakugo continued to fight for second. They were just nearing the opening of the tunnel that would lead back into the arena when the smoke behind them suddenly split to make way for the last person they expected to see.

A foot landed on each of their shoulders. As if in slow motion, the two boys looked up, only catching a glimpse of something blue before whoever it was jumped, using them as a spring board to launch them forward. Hands tapped the ground, flipping the person over as they twisted their body in mid air, allowing them to land on their feet, now running backwards. Todoroki and Bakugo stared, wide eyed, as they were confronted with who had just up-staged them.

Grinning back at them, her hair flying around her as she kicked off the ground to launch herself backwards and closer to the finish line, was Halyn.

Up until that very moment, they had both completely forgotten about Halyn and her agility and speed. But how had she caught up with them? Neither had seen hide or hair of her since the race had started, but, then again, they hadn't really been looking for her. For all they knew, she could have been just steps behind them the whole time, laying low and buying time.

When Halyn knew she had both of their attention, her grin grew and she gave them a wink. Kicking off the ground once more, she twisted again until she was now facing forward. As she landed on her feet once more, she bent her knees further and, with a single shake of her tail, rocketed forward, gaining speed enough to pull ahead of them. Given their shock and her sudden burst of speed, as well as the short amount of distance between her and the finish line, they weren't going to catch up to her. Not in time to pull ahead of her.

Todoroki had to admit...she had chosen the perfect time to revel herself and pull ahead.

Halyn gave a little bounce and a cheer of glee when she passed the finish line in second place, her smile bright and her tail flicking happily. Cheers erupted from the crowd as Halyn gave another bounce of glee.

" _Coming out of nowhere in a surprise upheaval, second place is taken by Leander Halyn of class 1-A! How's that for one sly kitty!?_ " Present Mic announced. " _I didn't see her at all through the whole race._ "

" _Leander's strong point in her slyness and speed. If she wants to go unnoticed, she generally does._ " Aizawa added.

Down below, Bakugo and Todoroki crossed the finish line, more students spilling in after them. Todoroki glanced over at Halyn as he paused to catch his breath. Instead of looking winded like the rest of them, Halyn looked refreshed, like the race had given her a little extra pep in her step. Todoroki really couldn't help but wonder how she had escaped his notice the whole race, how she had escaped **everyone's** notice.

As if feeling his eyes on her, Halyn turned, blinking her big eyes at him in questioning before she smiled at him and gave him a little wave. It it wasn't for the genuine smile on her face, he might have said she was mocking him, but that just wasn't Halyn.

" _Racers cross the finish line one after the other! We'll go over the standings later, so catch your breath for now!_ " Present Mic called.

"Deku!" Midoriya looked up as Uraraka ran towards him, calling him. "That was awesome!"

Behind her, Ida was lamenting over the fact that he, with his quirk, had actually lost a race. He just couldn't seem to wrap his head around it and came to the conclusion that he still had progress he needed to make.

"First place, though! Man, I'm jealous!" Uraraka told Midoriya.

In embarrassment, Midoriya twisted his arms around himself, half burying his face in one bicep. While he had managed to take first, he knew it was all luck. He knew that from there on out was where real skill would take over.

Skill...and slyness, like Halyn's.

Midoriya turned to look at Halyn as she stretched her body in order to avoid it cramping up on her. She had a big smile on her face as she hummed to herself. He had passed several people in all of the classes on his way to the front of the pack but he didn't remember seeing Halyn even once. Past the initial rush out of the gate at the start, he had lost sight of her.

Had it been her quirk at work?

Before Midoriya could work himself up into a muttering fit again, Midnight came out to announce the standings. On the screen appeared their ranks. Of course, in first place, was Midoriya, followed by Halyn, Todoroki, Bakugo, Shiozaki from Class B, Honenuki from Class B, Ida, Tokoyami, Sero, and Kirishima finished out the top ten. In total, only forty-two students passed to the next round of the festival.

"The top forty-two from this qualifying round will move on!" Midnight announced. "But for those who placed lower, don't worry! We've got another way for you to show your stuff! And now the main selection **really** begins! The press corp's going to be jumping out of their seats, so give it all you've got! Now, on to the second event! I already know what it is, of course...dying in suspense?! Next up is...this!"

The screen behind Midnight displayed the next event as...Cavalry Battle.

"So we're teaming up, but how exactly?" Asui asked.

"Participants will, on their own, form teams of two to four members each and get into a horse-and-rider formation!" Midnight announced.

"Oh, so kind of like playing Chicken in a pool." Halyn remarked to herself from where she stood between Mina and Toru.

"Kind of." Mina replied.

While the idea was intriguing, Halyn figured there had to be a lot of problems that could arise from this, the forefront being that there would be more than just one opposing team to concern herself with.

"The rules are fundamentally the same as those of an ordinary cavalry battle, snag your opponents' headbands while guarding your own, but with one exception...each of you has been assigned a point value based on your ranking in the last event!" Midnight explained.

"We'll earn points like in the entrance exam? Sounds simple." Sato remarked.

"So the point value of each team depends on its members!" Toru added.

"Which means that all teams will be gunning for those who have more of the higher ranked participants composing it." Halyn added thoughtfully.

"I'm about to explain it, so just shut up already!" Midnight snapped at them. "Anyway, yes! And your individual point values start at five, at the bottom! So the student who took forty-second place is worth five point, forty-first is worth ten...get it? But our first place participant is worth...ten million points!"

All eyes turned to Midoriya who was now sweating in nervousness. Halyn was kind of glad she hadn't taken first. She wasn't sure she could have stood being thrust so completely into the spot light like that.

"The higher ranked students are the ones to aim for! This survival game is a chance for a comeback. It's **anyone's** game! There's more suffering ahead for those at the top. As you must have heard countless times since enrolling at UA, this is Plus Ultra!" Midnight told them. "After taking **first place** in the qualifiers, Midoriya Izuku has got **ten million** points!"

While, in second place, Halyn was also a high target, she was nothing in comparison to Midoriya. All a team had to do was take his headband and keep it in order to win. It was a challenging position to be in and one with lots of pressure. But, on the other hand, if Midoriya managed to hold on to his headband, then it would be an automatic win for him. It got Halyn to thinking.

"The match will last fifteen minutes. Each team's points are determined by its members. The rider will wear a headband displaying the total number of points! Until the match ends, you'll all compete to grab each other's points and maintain the ones you have. Any headbands you grab must be worn around the neck or higher. But the more headbands you've got, the harder they'll be to manage! Most importantly, even if your headband is taken, and even if your horse formation is broken, it's not over 'til it's over!" Midnight explained.

"With forty-two contestants, there'll be ten to twelve teams on the field the whole time?" Sato asked.

"How tiresome." Aoyama remarked.

"Perhaps, but also challenging." Halyn piped in.

"So there's no need to panic if your points are temporarily stolen, yeah?" Mina asked.

"But you can't really tell if you're not paying attention to the minute-by-minute point breakdown, Mina." Asui pointed out.

"By doing that, you put yourself and your team's points at risk and lose precious time." Halyn added, Asui nodding in agreement.

It would be a game that would test their ability to protect and fight at the same time while remaining hyper-vigilant at all times. A challenge for those among them who didn't do so well with prolong fights.

"Quirks are allowed, so it'll be a brutal battle! However, it's still a cavalry battle! Maliciously attacking another team with the intent of making them fall will get you a red card! And that means you're out of the game! You've got fifteen minutes! Time to form your teams!" Midnight called.

Mina instantly turned to ask Halyn to team with her, but just as she had vanished during the first round, Halyn was gone once more. Groaning in disappointment, Mina went on to her second choice while other students begun pairing off. Several of the other students from Class A went to Bakugo, hoping to team up with him. Midoriya found out, quick enough, that no one really wanted to team up with him for a couple of reasons. The foremost being his insane amount of points. He was starting to get so upset that when Uraraka approached him and asked to be on his team, he actually broke into tears.

"Y-you mean it?! Everyone's probably gonna come after me for my ten million." Midoriya said.

"Yeah, but you'll win if you can just run away." Uraraka told him.

"I-I think you're overestimating me, Uraraka."

"That's fine! Who cares? Teaming up with a friend just seems right!" Uraraka declaring, smiling brightly.

Midoriya was so grateful to have a friend like her. It made his chest grow tight and also put a weird look on his face that had Uraraka questioning why his face suddenly went all ugly looking.

"I actually wanted to team up with you too, so thanks! Partnering with someone you get along with is definitely the best option! Now that we've got your quirk, Uraraka, we just need **him**. I've got the perfect plan!" Midoriya said.

The two went in search of Ida then, to recruit him to their team, only to find that he had already agreed to join Todoroki's team. The conversation ended with Ida also challenging Midoriya as Todoroki already had.

"Now what?" Uraraka asked.

"Hey, Midoriya."

Midoriya turned on the spt, looking around for who had called him. He caught sight of Halyn waving to him to come over. She was partly hiding behind an already formed group, as if she was trying to escape notice of those who hadn't yet found their team. Midoriya shared at look with Uraraka before the two hurried over to Halyn.

"Let me join your team."

The simple sentence was the first thing out of her mouth. Midoriya was so shocked that, for a moment, he just stared at her. He quickly snapped himself out of it when she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am. I can't tell you what my quirk is, because I'm trying to keep it a secret for a reason, but I can assure you that I can get you out of a few tough places if you need it. I'm your friend and friends support each other through thick and thin." Halyn told him.

Midoriya thought for a moment. Despite not knowing that Halyn's quirk was, he knew for sure that she was fast, flexible, and good at fending off others with cleverness. He knew she wouldn't drag him down and he really could use someone with her slyness. He looked up at Halyn, seeing the serious and determined look on her face.

"Alright." he agreed.

Halyn smiled, her tail curling happily behind her. While losing Ida was bad, he now had Uraraka and Halyn.

"Just one more now..." Midoriya mused.

He turned to scan those who still hadn't joined a team, Uraraka and Halyn standing at his side. Many were already gathered with their teams, planning ahead. It was then that Midoriya's eyes landed on the perfect final member of their team. Halyn and Uraraka called out to him in questioning when Midoriya suddenly walked away from them. By passing several others, he approached Tokoyami, asking him to join their team.

Thankfully, he did, coming back to Uraraka and Halyn with Midoriya in order for the four of them to plan out their approach to the game. Midoriya quickly went about explaining his plan to them.

"Right! Just focus on defending! There's no need for you to attack." Midoriya told Tokoyami.

"Hmm...interesting. The darker it is, the more ferocious my quirk attacks. But then the beast is hard to control. In daylight he's easier to manage but not much help in a fight. It's not like you knew, but picking me and my quirk for pure **defense**...not a bad choice at all, I say." Tokoyami replied. "Use me as best you can. I trust you, Midoriya."

"A weakness to light," Halyn mused lowly. "Sounds about right for a quirk like your's."

"And you? What of your quirk?" Tokoyami asked.

"I'm still not telling. Believe me, not knowing is to your benefit, as well. If you don't know what's coming, then the others can never guess. And keeping it a secret makes it easier for me to help us as a team." Halyn reasoned.

After all, they didn't know what quirks the other students had.

"Your fifteen minutes are up. Time to get started." Midnight suddenly called out.

Each team was handed the headband with their combined score on it. Midoriya took their's since he would be the horse, and secured it around his head. Once secure, they formed their horse, Midoriya acting as the horse while Uraraka and Halyn took the back flanks and Tokoyami took the front.

"Uraraka!" Midoriya called, silently asking if she was ready.

"Yep!" Uraraka answered.

"Leander!"

"Ready when you are." Halyn replied.

"Tokoyami!"

"Yeah." Tokoyami replied.

"Let's do this!" Midoriya called.

All of them braced themselves for the upcoming battle. They were pretty sure that once the battle started, most teams would be gunning for them and their over ten million points.

" _Formed your teams? Made your plans? Too bad if you haven't! Here we go! The countdown to this brutal royal! Three! Two! One!_ _ **START!**_ "

With Present Mic's call to start the battle, several teams, just as Halyn had thought, came right for her team.

"Incoming attacks right off the bat...there are two teams." Tokoyami called back. "The fate of those who are pursued...make your choice, Midoriya!"

"Run away, of course!" Midoriya replied.

Halyn, Uraraka, and Tokoyami, trying to move together, turned to carry Midoriya away but found their feet sinking in quicksand, gluing them to the spot. Try as they might to free their feet, they wouldn't budge.

"We're sinking! Guess that's his quirk!" Midoriya said.

"Ugh, how do we get free?!" Uraraka demanded.

Halyn's head whipped from side to side, trying to find an out. Finally, she clicked her tongue.

"Midoriya, shift your weight off my left arm!" she called. Midoriya shifted forward, bracing his hands on Tokoyami's shoulders. He felt Halyn's arm that was supporting him as a seat, vanish. "Ochaco, get ready to float us!"

Halyn shifted downward, plunging her left hand into the sand. Midoriya, Tokoyami, and Uraraka didn't see what Halyn did, but in the next second, they were being rocketed into the sky. The two approaching teams stared up at them as they flew up into the air. Jiro tried to attack with her earphones, but Dark Shadow fended her off.

"Well done, Dark Shadow. Be sure to cover our blind spots." Tokoyami told his quirk.

"Gotcha!" Dark Shadow replied. "Wow, that was awesome! Just the defensive power we were lacking, but now we're covered at mid-range from every direction! Good going, Tokoyami!" Midoriya praised.

" **You're** the one who chose **me**." Tokoyami replied.

"But, Leander, what did you do?" Midoriya asked, looking back at her.

"Don't worry about it too much. I told you I could get us in the air." Halyn replied, bracing her arm under him once more so he could take his weight off Tokoyami's shoulders.

"We're landing! Ha-chan, brace yourself." Uraraka called.

Shifting so that all the weight would land on Halyn and Uraraka first, they touched down, both girls bending their knees to land on their feet. Uraraka released her quirk on Tokoyami last, so that he touched down after them. Midoriya was impressed with the pair the two girls made. While Uraraka was working her quirk on everything but herself and their clothes, Halyn was acting like a directional system, getting them in the air and coordinating with Uraraka in order to change their direction. Add in the mid-range defenses of Tokoyami and the close range defense from Halyn, who was flexible enough to work her way around Uraraka and Tokoyami, and they were doing great.

As Tetsutetsu's team came at them from the right, Dark Shadow fighting them off, Shoji came charging in from the right.

"Huh?! Shoji's alone?! But this is a cavalry battle!" Midoriya exclaimed. "We must keep our distance! Fighting multiple foes is a bad idea!"

"Then we need to move. Ochaco, this way." Halyn called, moving to one side.

She didn't get far before Uraraka pulled them up short. Halyn twisted to look at the other girl in questioning.

"Ochaco?" she asked.

"I'm stuck!" Uraraka replied, looking down to where her shoe was stuck to the ground with one of Mineta's balls.

"That's Mineta's! But where is he?" Midoriya asked, looking around.

"In here, Midoriya." Mineta called from where he was hiding under the protective barrier that Shoji's was creating with his tentacles.

"Whoa! Is that legal!?" Midoriya asked.

Halyn didn't have time to care. She was forced to compensate for balance when Midoriya had to duck to dodge Asui's tongue as it shot out of Mineta's hiding space as well. With Midoriya's quick response, the tongue flew past him and nearly smacked Tetsutetsu in the face.

"Asui too! How many you got in there, Shoji?!" Midoriya questioned.

"Worry about that later. We need to focus on retreating." Halyn told him.

"Right!" Midoriya agreed.

"Ochaco, sorry, but you're going to have to lose a shoe." Halyn added.

In a feat of great balance, Halyn managed to balance her weight and the part of Midoriya's weight she was bearing, on one foot. With the other foot, she reached out, stepping on the back of Uraraka's shoe so that her foot could pop right out. Once it was free, she shifted again. Once again, her teammates weren't able to see what she did, but in the next moment, they were launched into the air once again.

"Sorry about your shoe, Ochaco." Halyn told her friend.

"Don't worry about it. We managed to get away and that's what matters." Uraraka assured her.

Their escape, though, wasn't as clean as they thought. Midoriya and Halyn were the first to spot him as Bakugo came flying at them, using his quirk to propel him through the air.

"Getting pretty full of yourself, huh, you bastard!" Bakugo yelled, a huge grin on his face.

"Tokoyami!" Midoriya called.

Dark Shadow reacted quickly, acting as a barrier between Bakugo and their team. Blocked, Bakugo was left to fall back toward the ground, Sero using his quirk to pull Bakugo back to them.

All of the crowd was fixed on the students of Class A, watching as they both attacked and defended. But, despite having real experience fighting villains, it wasn't Class A that was dominating the point board, but the students of Class B. Several teams had already lost their headbands. Even Bakugo's team had already lost their's. It turned out that Class B, from the very start, had gone into the festival with the plan to throw the qualifier in order to make a big impact in the following rounds.

They had played the long game.

A good strategy, but not one that worked for everyone. It also meant that they wouldn't be aiming for Midoriya. That was good since it meant less opponents for them to have to worry about.

"Guys. I think it won't be too hard to evade-" Midoriya cut off as another team cut off their path. "Or maybe...it won't be quite that easy."

Before them...was Todoroki's team.

"Well, hello barrier." Halyn muttered lowly. "Midoriya, what do we do?"

"Looks like this won't end without a fight. They're really gunning for you, Midoriya." Tokoyami added.

"We're halfway through, so we've gotta keep moving! But there're multiple teams incoming!" Midoriya warned.

Halyn had to shield her eyes as the approaching teams, that were coming in on Todoroki's back, were taken down by Kaminari's electricity, Dark Shadow defending her teams from damage. To follow up Kaminari's attack, Todoroki took a pole produced by Yaoyorozu, using it to run his ice into the ground, freezing in place those teams effected by Kaminari's attack.

After so many people had managed to make it past his ice during the obstacle course, Halyn wasn't surprised to see he had adjusted the attack by using Kaminari's quirk first. It was a clever plan. Especially since Todoroki was then able to snatch a couple of headbands.

"Leander!" Midoriya called back to her.

Halyn shifted in order to get them off the ground, going to move her right foot, only to find it frozen to the ground. When in the world had Todoroki managed that!?

"My foot! It's frozen!" she called. "I can get it free, but not before they reach us!"

Midoriya looked down at Halyn in surprise. The ice was nearly completely coating her foot. How had she not felt the coldness of it on her foot?

"They're too strong! We'll never get away!" Uraraka exclaimed, helping to support Midoriya weight as Halyn bent to quickly start chopping away at the ice around her foot.

"I'll create a diversion! Leander, hurry!" Tokoyami called.

"Right!"

Halyn didn't need to be told twice. She quickly went to work on the ice while Dark Shadow tried to fend off Todoroki's team, only to be stopped by Yaoyorozu.

"Her creation quirk! What a pain!" Midoriya remarked.

"No...Kaminari's the **real** problem. His sunlight attack would have wrecked my armor." Tokoyami replied, referring back to Dark Shadow's weakness.

"Right! Kaminari's electricity." Midoriya said.

"As long as he keeps that up, I don't have a shot. This little guy's so fickle." Tokoyami said.

"So you have less offensive power now, but they don't know that, right?" Midoriya asked.

"Probably. The only one I ever told about my weakness is Kuchida, back at the USJ. But he doesn't talk much." Tokoyami answered.

"As long as they don't know we can fake them out! We'll be fine! And the ten million points will stay with us! Leander, how are you doing?" Midoriya asked.

"I'm free!" Halyn replied, but it wasn't going to do much to help them.

Todoroki had them completely surrounded by ice. And with only a minute left on the clock. It was a bad position to be in, but they managed to, for the most part, avoid Todoroki's team. To top it off, they got to show off the flexibility of Halyn. Dodging Todoroki's team so that it put Yaoyorozu face-to-face with Halyn, Yaoyorozu got a shock when she moved to try to attack and make an opening for Todoroki. She had no sooner created a weapon when Halyn gave a hop, calling to Uraraka to support Midoriya.

Using Tokoyami's shoulder as support, Halyn swung her body out, kicking aside the weapon. No sooner as Halyn's foot touched the ground, she twisted her body, reversing the kick to force Yaoyorozu back away from her team. Another kick off the ground and Halyn swung herself back into position.

"That was awesome, Ha-chan!" Uraraka praised.

"I was only able to achieve it because of you and Tokoyami." Halyn told her honestly. "But right now, we need to focus."

Keeping to Midoriya's strategy, they stuck to Todoroki's left, moving that way whenever they moved towards them. They were doing well, that is...until Ida revealed his secret technique. The burst of speed was so great that even Halyn's eyes had a hard time trying to keep up. All she knew was one moment, they were in front of her team and the next, a gust of wind almost knocked her off her feet. In that burst of speed, Todoroki was finally able to snatch the headband from Midoriya's head.

"Ida! What was that just now?" Todoroki asked, as he secured the headband around his neck.

"I elevated my torque and R.P.M to an explosive degree. The kickback stalls my engines temporarily, though. It's a secret technique that I haven't shown anyone yet." Ida replied, fixing his eyes on Midoriya. "As I said earlier, Midoriya, I'm challenging you!"

"Midoriya, time's running out!" Halyn reminded a stunned Midoriya.

"R-right! Charge them!" Midoriya ordered.

"I can't attack as long as Kaminari's there! Going after someone else's points is our best bet." Tokoyami warned.

"No good! Can't you see the difference in points?! This is our only option!" Midoriya replied.

"Then let's go for it already!" Halyn said, already supporting Midoriya, Uraraka agreeing with her.

"We're getting it back, Deku! No doubt! Ha-chan!"

The two surged forward and shoved Tokoyami into movement, determined looks set on their faces. Catching on to their pace, Tokoyami sped up, setting his resolve. Midoriya looked down at them in surprise. In his head, each of their words played over in his head. Uraraka as she told him why she wanted to be a hero, Tokoyami's as he put his trust in Midoriya, and Halyn's as she told him she would support him as a friend through thick and thin.

Watching them put their all into following him, he realized that winning wouldn't just be for him. It would be for him and for those who had put their faith in him. With that reinforcing his drive, he took the speed his teammates offered and lunged for Todoroki. Halyn was pretty sure that she, having looked up to catch sight of the two's faces, was the only one outside the two that saw and felt what came over the two. Midoriya's drive, his determination was only second to All Might's and that had Todoroki reacting out of instinct, his left arm coming up, flames already springing forth.

Midoriya, not wanting to hit Todoroki, used the power of his quirk to create a slice of wind that sent Todoroki's left arm flying off to the side, opening a way for Midoriya directly to Todoroki's headbands. Todoroki, in that moment, realized what he had done, using his left side after he said he wouldn't. Stunned, he didn't block Midoriya. Midoriya grabbed one as they flew past.

"I got it! I really got it!" Midoriya cheered.

It was then that Halyn's eyes landed on the amount of points on the headband.

"Midoriya! It's the wrong one!" she called.

Midoriya looked down at the headband, finding it was a seventy point headband instead of the ten million they had been aiming for.

"We switched the headbands around just in case! To naive, Midoriya!" Yaoyorozu called back.

With ten seconds left, Midoriya ordered their team to charge once more, but they weren't the only ones. Bakugo came flying into the scene, but before any of them could reach their marks, time's up was called and the game was called to an end. Halyn and Uraraka helped a depressed Midoriya down.

" _Let's see who the top four teams are right now! In first place, Team Todoroki! In second, Team Bakugo! In third, Team Tetsu...huh?! Whoa! Team Shinso?! Who saw that turnaround coming? Who even saw it happen?!_ " Present Mic announced.

Midoriya was so depressed that he was all slumped over. Halyn hated to see him that way. After sharing a look with Uraraka, the two smiled.

"Deku." Uraraka called.

"Um...I'm so sorry...really..." Midoriya told them.

He stared at the two girls as Uraraka and Halyn shared another look, the two grinning. Moving at the same time, they pointed past themselves and towards Tokoyami, confusing Midoriya for a moment.

"Todoroki was clearly shaken by your first attack. I did my best to nab the ten million, but...I came up short. But I got another one." Tokoyami said, jabbing a thumb towards Dark Shadow who had a headband worth six hundred and fifteen points caught in his mouth. "I managed to get another one when he dropped his guard. Midoriya. The last-ditch effort of yours left Todoroki open."

With tears in his eyes, Midoriya fell to his knees as the last team to pass the second round, was called.

" _In fourth, Team Midoriya! These four teams will proceed to the final event!_ "

Halyn laughed as she watched Midoriya sob his heart out. It had been a close call, a very close one, but, in the end, it had turned out for the best.

Now she had to prepare herself for what came next.

END

Kyandi: God, what I would of given to see Todoroki's and Bakugo's faces when you literally stepped on them.

Halyn: I don't think they were too happy.

Kyandi: Of course they weren't. Would you be if someone suddenly upstaged you?

Halyn: ...I don't care. I don't like being center stage.

Kyandi: Ah, right. Forgot about that for a second.

Halyn: And next is the one-on-one matches.

Kyandi: You'll be fine. Just kick some butt!

Halyn: Uh-huh.

Kyandi: Anyway, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	7. First Round Fight

Kyandi: And I have returned.

Halyn: Her attention is split.

Kyandi: Only a little. My dear Queen of Distractions has gotten me addicted to a Bungou Stray Dogs game.

Halyn: She spends quite a bit of time on it.

Kyandi: I'm cutting back, I swear. I do have stories to work on and I need to prepare for AnimeFest next month. Speaking of which, for those of you who can make it to AnimeFest in Dallas on the 19th of August, I'll have a little present for all of you who can locate me in the crowd.

Halyn: She'll be wearing a black shirt with Kyandi-sama on the back of it.

Kyandi: Right, so don't be shy. Drop by and say hi!

Halyn: That rhymed.

Kyandi: Yes, I know. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 7 First Round Fight

" _We'll proceed to the afternoon portion after a one hour lunch break! See you then!_ "

When lunch was called, Todoroki called out Midoriya, leading the other away before their classmates knew what had happened. They found an out-of-the-way corridor where they could talk uninterrupted. For a long moment, though, they just stood across from each other, Todoroki staring at an uncomfortable Midoriya.

"You wanted to talk? About what...?" Midoriya asked, trying to get Todoroki to talk. "The dining hall will be packed if we don't hurry. Um..."

Still Todoroki continued to stare at him, making him shift in discomfort. Finally, blessedly, Todoroki spoke.

"You overwhelmed me. So much so that I broke my own pledge. Ida, Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Uraraka, Leander...none of them felt it. In that last instant, I was the only one feeling the pressure. I experienced All Might's true power up close, remember?" Todoroki said.

"So, what're you saying?" Midoriya asked.

"I felt the same pressure coming from you. So...are you All Might's illegitimate child or something?" Todoroki asked bluntly.

To say that Midoriya was stunned, was an understatement. All he could do for a long pause, was stare at Todoroki in a dumbfounded way. He had no doubt that if certain members of their class, like Halyn, had heard that, they would be rolling on the floor in laughter. Finally, Midoriya started shaking his head rapidly.

"Nah, I, well...I mean, I'm denying that, but obviously, if I really were his kid, I'd try to deny it, so I realize I don't sound very convincing here...but, no, that's not it..." Midoriya tried to explain. "So...let me ask you then, why would you think that I..."

"'No, that's not it.'. Interesting way to phrase it. There's definitely something you're hiding. I'm sure of it. You know, my father is **Endeavor**. The second greatest hero of all time. So if you're somehow connected to the number one guy, then all the more reason for me to **crush** you. My dad...he's a powerful bastard who only thinks of becoming stronger. Yeah, he's gone all out to make a name for himself as a hero, but he's always seen that living legend, All Might, as a roadblock and an eyesore. My father could never beat All Might on his own. So he came up with another plan." Todoroki said.

"What's this about, Todoroki? Why are you telling me this?" Midoriya asked.

"Quirk marriages. You've heard of them, yeah? They started becoming a problem during the second or third generation after quirks appeared. Strong individuals would choose a partner and force them into marriage for the sole purpose of passing on a strengthened version of their own quirk. Those earlier generations were lacking in ethics. With his wealth and fame, my father made my mother's family agree to the marriage. All to get his hands on her quirk. Raising me as a hero who could exceed All Might, just to fulfill his own ambitions. I hate it! being no more than a tool for that human garbage. As I remember it, mom was always crying. "I can't stand to see that left side of yours" she said, before throwing scalding water in my face."

Midoriya felt a shudder run down his spine as he stared, wide eyed, at Todoroki. Absently, Todoroki's hand came up to touch the scarred left side of his face. Midoriya couldn't imagine what it must take for a mother to do such a thing to her own child.

Unknown to them, just outside the hallway, Halyn was leaning against the building, listening into the conversation. She had merely been looking for Midoriya when she had come across the two. Hearing what Todoroki had just told Midoriya, Halyn pressed a hand against her stomach, as if she was about to be sick. A few things about Todoroki suddenly made a lot of sense to her.

"In short, not using my left side against you was my revenge on him. Never using my rotten father's quirk...no...by rising to the top **without** using it...I'll have denied him everything." Todoroki finished.

Outside, Halyn shook her head. She could understand a bad relationship with a father, she could understand the feelings that came with wondering if that same father even loved her or if it had all been a lie with some kind of ulterior motive behind it. She really could understand it, but...Todoroki was only going to end up hurting himself in the end with the way he was approaching it.

All this anger, it wasn't good for him and it hurt her knowing that he was this twisted up inside because of his father's actions. It made her heart ache for him. How a man could only see his son as a means to an end, was beyond her. Then again, there could be more to it for Todoroki's father than she knew. She didn't know the whole story yet and there was always two sides to a story.

Not wanting to be caught listening in, Halyn hurried away, but what she had just heard would stick with her through the rest of the festival.

Just as it would with Midoriya.

-0-0-0-0-

After lunch, it was right back to the festivities.

" _Before we get to the final event, I've got good news for all those out of the running! This is still a sports festival, so we've prepared a recreational activity for all participants! We even shipped in cheerleaders from America to get you pumped up._ " Present Mic announced.

Halyn was suddenly glad that she hadn't been around the other girls in her class for lunch. Somehow, for some reason, all of the other girls in her class had been talked into wearing cheerleader outfits. Something about Mineta and Kaminari tricking them. Halyn kind of felt bad for the girls.

"How'd I let myself get fooled by Mineta's stupid prank..." Yaoyorozu asked herself.

"You really should take anything Mineta tells you with a spoonful of suspicion." Halyn told her as she and Uraraka patted her back.

"Those idiots." Jiro muttered, throwing down one of her pompoms.

"Still time before the main event. No sense in sitting around." Toru reasoned. "Why not just go with it?! Could be fun!"

"You're enjoying this, Toru." Asui remarked.

"Well, it is a good way to pass the time." Halyn admitted.

"Join us, Ha-chan!" Toru suggested.

Hayln shook her head, a smile curling her lips.

"Sorry, but I'm going to use this time to mentally prepare myself for what comes next in the festival." Halyn told them.

She was going to take the time to save up her energy and prepare herself for whatever the festival threw at her. But first, the announcement of the final event.

The final event...one-on-one battles among the sixteen passing students.

"A tournament, huh? So we'll be up in that ring I see on TV every year!" Kirishima cheered.

"Was it a tournament last year too?" Mina asked.

"The format's always different, but most years involve some kind of head-to-head competition. Last year it was foam sword fighting." Sero answered.

"It was amusing to watch." Halyn said, grin on her face.

It was obvious, by the grin on her face and the amused way her tail curled, that she had enjoyed watching the tournament a little too much.

"The match-ups will be decided by drawing lots." Midnight announced, holding up a box. "Once that's settled, we'll move on to the festivities and then the tournament itself! It's up to each of you sixteen finalists whether or not you participate in the fun. I expect some of you would rather take a breather and save your strength. Now, let's start with the first-place team-"

Midnight was cut off when Ojiro suddenly raised his hand, calling attention to himself.

"Um...excuse me. I'd...like to drop out." Ojiro announced.

"Ojiro! Why?! This is your chance to get noticed by the pros!" Ida told him.

"The cavalry battle...I have no memories of anything that happened up until the tail end. It's probably _his_ quirk that did it. I know this is a great opportunity. And I know how stupid it must seem to throw it away, but this final tournament...everyone else made it here by their own strength. Yet I'm standing here, and I don't even know how or why. I just can't take it." Ojiro explained.

"You're thinking about it too hard! Just show what you're made of in the tournament!" Toru told him.

"By that logic, I shouldn't be here either." Mina added.

"No...I'm talking about my pride, here." Ojiro said, pressing a hand to his face. "I don't think it's right. And why the heck are you girls dressed like that anyway?"

Halyn laid a hand on Ojiro's shoulder, making him raise his head to look at her. She gave him a smile.

"I know how you feel. Everyone has their own morals and ethics. Don't let anyone sway you from yours." Halyn told him.

Ojiro gave her a grateful smile. As it was, he wasn't the only one that felt like he didn't deserve to go on to the next event. A boy from Class B felt the same way. In the end, it was up to Midnight.

"How naive and green. I...like it! Shoda and Ojiro have officially withdrawn! Replacing those two will be members of Team Kendo, which took fifth."

"If it's gonna be like that, shouldn't it be **them** instead? I mean, we were immobilized practically the whole time. But they were giving it their all to keep what they had until the very end. Team Tetsutetsu, I mean. Don't worry. We're not colluding or anything. This just feels right." Kendo said, giving her classmate a smile.

"So be it. Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki bring us back up to sixteen competitors! And here are the match-ups!" Midnight announced.

Everyone turned to the screen as the match-ups were displayed. Halyn's eyes followed the names sprawled across the bottom of the screen until she located her own name. The name connected to hers was...Ida. Halyn turned to her classmate, meeting his eyes. For a moment it looked like she might be fighting with some morals about fighting a friend, but then her tail curled and grin curled her lips.

Ida didn't like the look one bit.

"Good luck to you, Ida. May the best hero win." she told him.

Her tone, though, suggested that she had some evil plan up her sleeve, just for him.

Before he could say anything or even begin to approach the question of what her look meant, she turned and walked away, her tail swaying happily behind her. She even hummed a happy little tune to herself as she walked away.

What the hell was she planning?

Not that he got his answer before they were being cleared off the field to make way for the side events. While some of the others took that time to psych themselves up for the upcoming tournament and others tried to relax, Halyn preferred to find a seat away from other to watch the little events until the tournament started.

She had a lot to think about. Looking at the layout for the tournament, she was pretty sure that Midoriya and Todoroki would pass their first rounds. If she won her first two rounds, then that meant she would face one off with one of them. She wasn't exactly sure which she would prefer to face.

After the extra events were over, Cementoss got to work on building the ring they would use for the tournament. Halyn joined the rest of her class in a seating box set aside for their class only.

" _Hey, guys. Are you ready? You've been through hell to get here! But now it's time for the one-on-one tournament! You've only got yourself to rely on! Even if you're not a hero, this saying holds true! You know it! Spirit, technique, strength, wisdom, and knowledge! Use 'em all and show us your best! The first match! Making a weird face despite his excellent performance, it's Midoriya Izuku, from the Hero Course! Versus...Sorry, but this guy hasn't really done anything to stand out yet! It's Shinso Hitoshi, from General Studies!_ " Present Mic announced.

Down below, Midoriya and Shinso entered the ring to a round of cheers from those watching. Halyn was interested to see what kind of quirk this Shinso had and how Midoriya would handle himself in a one-on-one battle.

" _The rules are simple! Win by knocking your opponent out of the ring, immobilizing them or getting them to say "I give up"! Bring the pain! We've got our good old Recovery Girl on standby! And fight dirty if you must! "Ethics" have no meaning here! Well, of course, going for the kill is a no-no! You'll be disqualified! Because a true hero's fists fly only when in pursuit of villains! Now let's get this thing started!_ "

Halyn knew, almost instantly, that something was wrong when Midoriya yelled at Shinso for something he said and suddenly froze in place. From the look on Shinso's face, Halyn was pretty sure it was his quirk at work.

"Dammit, Midoriya. I warned you!" Ojiro yelled from where he sat behind Halyn.

"So this is Shinso's quirk?" Halyn asked, twisting to look at him.

"Yeah." Ojiro replied.

Halyn turned her eyes back to the ring below. From the looks of it, it had to be some kind of mind control quirk. A rare type of quirk and one that could be very valuable. She was sure that was the case when, after a word from Shinso, Midoriya turned and started headed towards the out-of-bounds line of the ring. It looked like it was all over for Midoriya.

That being said, Halyn was pleasantly surprised when Midoriya, somehow, managed to move just two fingers, setting of a blast from his own quirk which, in turn, snapped him out of Shinso's control. It broke two of his fingers, but it did the trick.

"Wow...to go that far..." Ojiro whispered.

"Sometimes you have to go that far." Halyn remarked, silently impressed with Midoriya.

Shinso tried to jab Midoriya into answering him again, so he could gain control once more. Midoriya wasn't falling for it. Despite Shinso being bigger and taller, Midoriya rushed him, trying to push him out of the ring. Shinso punched him, trying to get him off of him, but Midoriya was too persistent, too stubborn to let this be the last of him. It took a little grappling, but with a well place throw, Midoriya was able to get part of Shinso out of the ring.

Even if it was only by a foot.

Literally.

"Shinso is out of the ring! Midoriya moves on to the second round!" Midnight called.

Halyn, along with most of the crowd, clapped for Midoriya, a smile on her face. It was done with two broken fingers and a bleeding nose, but Midoriya had made his way past the first round. She had noticed it, watching him during battle training, but Midoriya really was like her in the fact that he learned, adapted from his experiences. Just thinking of the challenge he would present if she ever got to go up against him, made the fur on her tail stand on end.

The next match was another quick one; Todoroki verses Sero.

Midoriya joined the rest of the class just as the match was starting.

" _The cream of the crop! Yet this guy's somehow still as plain as they come! Sero Hanta of the Hero Course! Versus, the best of the best! Strongest of the strong! Todoroki Shoto, also of the Hero Course! Start!_ "

Sero started out strong in Halyn's opinion. He quickly wrapped Todoroki up in his tape, and, with a solid yank, sent him flying toward the out-of-bounds line. But Todoroki wasn't having it. Halyn's hair was blown back from her face in a burst as, with a single upswing of his hand, Todoroki created a massive wall of ice that easily stood taller than the arena. The ice actually came to a stop just mere inches from her face, making her blink at it in mild surprise before she leaned around it to peer down at the ring below.

Sero was frozen in place and since he couldn't move to continue the match, it was called in Todoroki's favor. As it was called that Todoroki would move on to the next round, Halyn caught sight of him as he defrosted himself and Sero. She didn't know if it was just her or not, but, in that moment, to her...Todoroki looked incredibly sad. To be honest, to see such a confident guy look so sad and even angry at the same time...it broke Halyn's heart.

She couldn't bare to see anyone, especially not a classmate, hurt like that.

She would have to do something, anything...she couldn't leave it like this.

She simply didn't have it in her.

After all the ice that Todoroki has covered the ring in, they had to take a break to thaw out the ice. Once that was done, the next match, featuring Kaminari and Shiozaki, started. Since Halyn's match against Ida was right after that, she excused herself from her seat to head for the preparation room. The girls of her class called out good luck to her as she left. Later, she would find out that Shiozaki beat Kaminari quickly and soundly because he had underestimated her.

Halyn, waiting in the prep room to be called, hopped from one foot to the other, shaking her hands out as she rolled her shoulders. She was nervous, jittery even. Back in Italy, they didn't have huge events like this. They did, however have a smaller event where students from all schools could come together and compete, but that had always been optional and Halyn, favoring secrecy over fame, had never competed.

She wasn't a big fan of the lime light.

Here, though, she didn't have much of a choice. In order to make something of herself and reach a position where she could make her dream come true, she had to deal with the spot light. So she would face Ida, she would fight to win, and would move on to the next round. For now, though, she would not be show-casing her quirk.

Not quite yet.

Finally, she was called to report to the ring. Halyn took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, plastered a smile on her face, and stalked into the ring with all the lethal grace of a feline with it's eyes on its prey. Seeing the serious look on Ida's face, her grin grew. He was nervous, she could tell, could practically smell it on him, and she was sure it was all over the fact that he didn't know what her quirk was and, therefore, didn't know what all she was capable of.

" _The first round's just about half over! Next up is Ida Tenya of the Hero Course! Versus, our lady of mystery who's quirk is unknown even to us of the staff...Leander Halyn, also of the Hero Course!_ "

Halyn could hear the surprised mutterings of the crowd when it was announced that even the teachers didn't know what her quirk was. None of them could believe that even her teachers didn't know what it was.

What could she say?

She was good at hiding things.

"May the best person win, right, Ida?" Halyn called.

"Yes. Best of luck to you, Leander." Ida replied.

"Sorry, dear friend, but I don't need luck."

Ida's eyebrow rose as Halyn crouched on her spot, her tail lashing back and forth. She placed her hands on the ring floor, her back side rising into the air until her tail curled over her head. She braced herself in that position, waiting, her whole body freezing. Ida didn't think she was even breathing.

" _ **START!**_ "

The word barely left Present Mic's mouth before Halyn was moving, her whole body springing forward like a cat pouncing on it's prey. Ida swore he even saw her fang-like teeth flash before he moved to get out of her way. Not that it did him any good. Halyn had reflexes like that of a cat hunting for it's next meal. Her hands connected with the ring floor, her lower body swinging around while her tail helped her to keep balance and then she was pouncing again.

Now expecting it, Ida moved out of her way, aiming a kick for her when she landed. Halyn responded by bunching up the muscles in her legs and springing straight up in the air, the kick flying past right under her body. Her toes no sooner touched the ground before she jumped again, swing her own kick for his face.

He had to admit, Halyn had excellent reflexes, able to react to him just in the nick of time. But she was also taking advantage of the fact that when he used his speed, it was extremely difficult to change directions at the drop of a hat where she could twist and turn with ease. Which he found out the hard way and in a rather irksome manner.

Halyn, with all the ease of a seasoned acrobat, flipped and twisted this way and that, avoiding Ida and effectively driving him up the wall when she would just crouch there, grin on her face and her tail giving a little mocking flick. It was as if the girl was just playing with him, but the truth was...she was baiting him. Something that those watching the match, could see. When she finally pulled the switch on him, he didn't see it coming until it hit him across the face...literally.

He has just attacked again, only for Halyn to flip out of his way, landing on her hands. Balancing there, she twisted...and slammed a booted heel across his face. Flipping back away from him, she landed in a crouch once more. Ida rubbed his abused cheek while the crowd hissed in sympathy. And Ida agreed. He hadn't realized just how much strength Halyn had in her legs.

Ida turned to Halyn, who patiently waited for him, her tail curling one way and then the other. The moment his eyes were on her once again, she sprang.

He avoided her, but she twisted once more and hit him again. As his world spun from the force of the hit, Ida realized that if he took too many of those hits to the face or head, then she was going to end up knocking him out.

The process repeated itself, Halyn wearing him down, while her energy seemed only to increase as she got into the swing of the match, bouncing from one spot to the next. Just when he thought he had her movements down, she mixed it up on him. Instead of dodging and then twisting to attack, she dodged...and then jumped onto him.

One of her hands hit him smack in the face, her knees pressing into his shoulders until her weight knocked him back off his feet. She rolled away from him when they hit the ground and popped back to her feet. Ida had to roll to the side to avoid her next pounce and was scrambling to his feet before she could hit again, but now, instead of being on the offensive, Halyn had forced him into defense as she rapidly attacked him, forcing him further and further back. It was just a few feet short of the out-of-bounds line that he realized what Halyn was doing and planted his feet, fending off her attacks with his arms.

Halyn noticed quickly and aimed a hard kick for his arms. When Ida blocked it, gritting his teeth when he was sure he felt some, at least, crack, she grabbed his wrist, using his firm stance in order to snake her way over his shoulder, taking a nose dive for the ring floor. Ida twisted, concerned she would smack her face on the ground, putting himself off balance but Halyn, as easily as she had with all of her other moves, caught herself on her hands. What she did next both shocked and dumbfounded Ida as well as those watching.

If anyone was ever foolish enough to claim that Halyn's lithe body didn't contain strength, they were in for a rude awakening.

Halyn, in a feat that displayed her flexibility, hooked her legs under his arms and, heaving with a strength Ida didn't know she possessed, she twisted her body, balancing on one arm so she could swing the other out, making his knees buckle when she hit the back of them, hard. Between her own strength and the momentum of his falling, Halyn was able to wretch him up off his feet and, with a snap of her body, send him fly up and over her.

Ida, having lost his balance, landed in a heap. When he sat up, Halyn, still balanced on one hand and looking at him from upside down, gave him a victory sign, her grin growing. It took him a moment to realize why.

"Ida is out of bounds! Leander moves on to round two!" Midnight called.

Ida looked down to find that he had landed just out of bounds. Happy with her victory, Halyn flipped back onto her feet and threw her hands into the air in a cheer as she gave a joyful leap into the air. She spun on the spot once before bounding over to Ida, offering him a hand up and a smile.

"That was great, Ida! You really are fast." Halyn complimented as she helped him up.

"Not fast enough for you, apparently." he remarked in a rather bitter-sweet way.

"Nonsense! I just took advantage of an obvious weakness to your speed. If it had been a race, you would have won, hands down." Halyn told him, giving his hand a shake in a show of sportsmanship.

"And yet, during the obstacle course, you still beat me." Ida pointed out.

"Yes, well...I had an unfair advantage in that, too." she admitted.

Before Ida could question her on what she meant, she spun away from him and headed out of the ring, making way for the next match. Ida really didn't have any idea on how to handle Halyn sometimes, she just bounced from one thing to the other, but he would admit that she was a very clever fighter. She had taken advantage of the weakness to his speed as well as his concern for a classmate.

She was a very clever person, indeed.

END

Kyandi: I imagined a hyper active cat bouncing about a room when I wrote this chapter.

Halyn: You just have to make me as cat-like as possible, don't you?

Kyandi: It's an acquired trait considering your father and brothers are all cat-like.

Halyn: You have a point.

Kyandi: Anyway, I have another chapter I have to edit, so...

Halyn: We're wrapping up early?

Kyandi: Yep. Everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	8. Guessing Game

Kyandi: And I'm back.

Halyn: And she almost got her head shaved.

Kyandi: Yeah, apparently, even at my age, my parents don't approve of me dying my hair blue.

Halyn: I told you, you should have worn the hood.

Kyandi: Yeah, I know. But it's not even like **all** of my hair is blue.

Halyn: Just the majority.

Kyandi: Details, details.

Halyn: What, were you trying to be me?

Kyandi: Nah. This is too dark and more of a blue-green. Anyway, hair aside, let's get to the chapter. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Kyandi: I wish I did. The latest chapters...ARGH! Darn you, Endevour! Making me feel things!

Halyn: Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 8 Guessing Game

"Congrats, Halyn!"

Halyn was greeted with cheers of congrats from the females of her class. Halyn gave them a smile in response, claiming her seat once more. The next match was between Aoyama and Mina, with Mina taking home the win with a solid uppercut. After them was Yaoyorozu verse Tokoyami. Despite how well she normally did in class, Yaoyorozu lost and rather quickly. The match after that, proved to be one that would take a while to conclude; Kirishima verses Tetsutetsu.

Halyn couldn't help grinning at just how similar the two were, right down to their personalities and quirks. With the two of them, it was more of a battle to see which one would knock out the other first. A low "huh" left Halyn's lips when the two actually ended up knocking each other out at the same time. Since the two were both out, Midnight declared that they would decide the outcome when the two regained conscious. Until then, they were moving on with the next match.

Halyn sat forward in her seat as the next two contestants came out. This was going to be a match that was going to be a little painful to watch.

"In some ways, I'm most worried about this next one." Asui remarked.

"Honestly, I don't wanna watch." Jiro added.

"Watch." All eyes turned to Halyn. "Don't take your eyes off the match. Ochaco is strong in her own way and will fight with all she has. In honor of that, don't take your eyes off them. Where I come from, that is how you honor a true warrior."

Though they all feared for Uraraka, simply because they knew how Bakugo could be, they would watch closely. For all they knew, a miracle could happen and Uraraka could beat Bakugo soundly.

" _For the last match-up of the first round, a celebrity since his middle school days, with a face only a mother could love...It's Bakugo Katsuki of the Hero Course! Versus my personal pick! Uraraka Ochaco, also of the Hero Course!_ " Present Mic announced.

Halyn fixed her eyes on the ring below, her ears picking up the conversation of Ida and Midoriya next to her.

"You said earlier you thought of a counter-strategy for her against Bakugo. What was it?" Ida asked Midoriya.

"Oh! Nothing special, really. Ka-chan is strong...he's got virtually no weaknesses in close-range combat. His quirk's stronger the more mobile he is. He can maneuver in midair, but if she can get him floating, she'll gain the advantage." Midoriya said.

"But for Ocahco to float him, she has to get close which is where he really shines." Halyn mused lowly.

"Exactly." Midoriya said.

Below, the match was called to a start. As soon as the start was called, Uraraka, keeping close to the ground, charged Bakugo. Her determination was clear in the expression she had set on her face.

"Even just by accidentally touching him, she can send him floating, so he'll want to keep his distance! And if I know Ka-chan-"

"He won't dodge, but confront her." Halyn supplied, finishing Midoriya's sentence for him.

"Yeah." Midoriya confirmed.

Halyn watched as, down below, Bakugo, as he always did, lead with a right hook, the explosion rocking the ring. Uraraka, despite knowing it was coming, couldn't react in time to dodge it and took the explosion nearly head on. But what Uraraka did next, showed just how clever the girl could be in a pressing situation.

Bakugo waited, staring into the settling smoke intently. When he caught sight of Uraraka's gym jacket, he attacked. His mistake was, though, underestimating Uraraka. He figured it out quick when he hit the jacket to find that the girl wasn't inside it. Taking a chance at his exposed back, Uraraka appeared out of he smoke behind him. She almost had him when he caught on and swung an arm back, an explosion sending her flying back off her feet.

Halyn hissed lowly as Uraraka caught herself, sliding across the ring floor. Despite the smoke screen covering her movements, Bakugo had a reaction time that was crazy fast. Only Halyn's reaction time topped his. Uraraka was at a severe disadvantage against Bakugo. Not only did she have to touch him in order for her quirk to work, she was slower than Bakugo. It was a tough match-up.

But Uraraka wasn't giving up. She grit her teeth and went charging back in. Bakugo met her head on. Uraraka took the hit and came back for more. Many of Halyn's classmates were horrified, some unable to watch. Halyn, though, saw something they didn't. Her tail curled up over her shoulder and gave a flick.

"Huh...so **that's** her plan." Halyn said in enlightenment, some of the others looking at her. "Clever girl, Ochaco, very clever."

"What is it?" Kaminari asked.

"If you can't see it, you will." was Halyn's simple reply.

Though Halyn didn't see how they couldn't see it.

They weren't the only ones either. Pros in the crowds begun to boo Bakugo, calling out cries of disapproval of Bakugo's actions. They were silenced when Aizawa spoke over the speakers.

" _Is the one who said he's toying with her a pro? How many years of active duty? If that's what you're taking away from this, then you can leave. No point in watching. Go home and start looking at job-hunting sites. She's come this far, and he knows her strength. His caution shows that he recognizes her as a worthy opponent. It's exactly because he wants to win so badly, that there's no room for carelessness or holding back._ " Aizawa declared.

And Halyn agreed completely.

Especially when Uraraka unveiled her true plan...by dropping all the rubble from Bakugo's attacks, right on his head.

Halyn could understand Bakugo, who was on ground level with Uraraka, not to notice, but for the pros up in the stands not to notice...now that was just bad. In fact, it was right down embarrassing.

Uraraka, the little genius, had, by charging in low, kept Bakugo's attention on the ground, his attacks kicking up a lot of rubble that she then used as her weapons against him. In short, she created her own, personal meteor storm. It was a self-sacrificing strategy, one Halyn could respect, but it just wasn't enough.

In a huge explosion that sent shock waves up into the stands, Bakugo completely cleared out the falling rubble. Despite having her last resort blown away, Uraraka got back to her feet to charge in once more, but her body had other plans. Uraraka wobbled on her feet before falling to the ground. Midnight stepped in then, checking on Uraraka, but it was clear, even to those in the stands, that she was down for the count.

"Uraraka is unable to continue. Bakugo moves on to the second round!" Midnight announced.

Uraraka was carted off to Recovery girl and it was announced that the next round would begin after a short break. Since the first match of the next round would be Midoriya verses Todoroki, Midoriya left for the prep room. It wasn't long after that that Bakugo returned.

"Ohh...rough match, huh, Villain-Face?" Sero asked.

"Awkward match-ups aside, you do great at playing the bag guy, Bakugo." Asui added.

"Shut the hell up, all of you!" Bakugo snapped.

"Don't blame us because you almost bit off more than you could chew." Halyn remarked. "Isn't that right, Ka-chan?"

Bakugo grit his teeth, one eye twitching as he glared at Halyn. Halyn grinned back up at him, her tail curling in a teasing manner.

"No, really though, nice job blowing up that frail little girl." Kaminari remarked. "Not like me. I held back against mine."

"You were beaten fair and square, Kaminari." Asui and Halyn said together.

"Aw come on, you two." Kaminari complained.

Bakugo ignored them all as he dropped into an empty seat, his arms crossed.

"Nothing frail about her." Bakugo retorted.

"Aw, aren't you a cool customer, Ka-chan." Halyn teased, getting out of her seat and draping an arm around his shoulders.

"Get the hell off!" he snapped, swatting at her.

Halyn brushed his hand off to the side as she danced out of his reach, laughing. She gave his head a pat as she hurried past him, excusing herself to go check on Uraraka. She reached the prep room just as it was decided through an arm wrestling match that Kirishima would move on to the next round.

"Ha-chan!" Uraraka called in surprise when Halyn opened the door.

"That was an awesome job, Ochaco." Halyn said, rushing inside to hug her friend. Uraraka gladly took the hug. Halyn gave her a squeeze before holding her out in front of her, a huge smile on her face. "You truly were amazing. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time."

"Thanks, but I still lost." Uraraka told her.

"But that just means you can learn from this experience and grow more. Don't put yourself down just yet, Ochaco. You still have a lot of fight in you." Halyn assured her.

Uraraka, grateful for her friend, gave her a smile. Halyn gave her hands a squeeze before turning to Midoriya.

"And you, good luck out there." Halyn told him, giving his shoulder a supportive clap.

"Oh, right! Sorry! You wasted all your prep time talking to me!" Uraraka said, apologizing to Midoriya. "Good luck out there. I'm rooting for ya."

Midoriya thanked the both of them and left to report to his match. Once he was gone, Halyn turned to her friend. She gave Uraraka's shoulder a squeeze.

"You take your time, alright? I'll head on back ahead of you and assure the others that you're fine." Halyn told her.

"Thank, Ha-chan. You're the best." Uraraka told her, Halyn shaking her head in response.

"I know I would want to talk to my family in a time like this. That or be alone for a while. You just take your time. I'll see you in a while." Halyn told her.

Halyn gave her a smile and a wave and headed back to the others. She rejoined her class just as Todoroki and Midoriya entered the ring. After assuring her friends that Uraraka was fine, she turned to fix her eyes on the two boys below.

" _Both of these competitors have won top marks in this festival so far! But there's only room for one of these greats in the ring! It's Midoriya versus Todoroki! START!_ "

The moment the match started, Todoroki attacked with his flashiest move, ice rocketing across the ring towards Midoriya, who answered in kind, blowing the ice away while sacrificing one of his fingers. Todoroki tried the same attack, twice more, and only got the same result, again and again. It was then that Kirishima showed back up.

"Gah. They already started!" Kirishima complained.

"Hey! Nice job getting to the second round, Kirishima!" Kaminari called.

"Thanks. I'm up against you next, Bakugo!" Kirishima called.

"I'll kill you." was Bakugo's simple reply.

"Hahaha. I'd like to see you try!" Kirishima told him with a laugh before moving on. "But man. You and that Todoroki...you can fire off as many of those crazy-strong attacks as you want."

"As many as we want? Don't be an idiot." Bakugo told him.

"Huh?" Kirishima voice, turning to look at him.

"There's more to it than that." Halyn chimed in. "Powers like Todoroki's and Ka-chan's work sort of the same way. It's kind of like an AP gauge in a game."

"I don't get it." Kirishima told her.

"Strain your muscles, and you'll tear them. Run too much, and you'll be out of breath. Quirks are still physical abilities. Even this guy's gotta have some kind of limit." Bakugo explained.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So up against insta-kill man, Midoriya's trying to-"

"Draw out the match, yeah." Halyn said, finishing Kirishima's sentence.

And that was exactly what Midoriya was trying to do. Not that Todoroki didn't catch on. When he did, he attacked and instantly moved to close the gap between him and Midoriya. Using his ice, he got above Midoriya who flung himself backwards to avoid the hit, only for Todoroki to follow it up with another ice attack. With the closer ranger, Todoroki managed to snag Midoriya's foot with his ice. The resulting blast from Midoriya's bid for freedom, blew Halyn back in her seat.

The price of that blast, though, was Midoriya's left arm and his right hand was already all smashed up. Halyn sat forward in her seat, watching intently as Todoroki went in for what he was sure was the last kill. A pleasantly surprised grin curled her lips as Midoriya blew away this new attack using an already damaged finger. Todoroki only saved himself from flying outside the ring by using his ice to brace him.

Down in the ring, Todoroki couldn't understand why Midoriya would go this far, why he didn't just go down gracefully.

"Why go that far?" Todoroki demanded.

"You're shivering, Todoroki..." Todoroki jolted when Midoriya said this. "Quirks are still just physical abilities. You must have a limit to how much of that cold you can bear! But then, you could always use your left side to thaw yourself out, right? Everyone's giving it their all. To win, to achieve their goals...to make it to the top! And you're gonna win with **half** your power?! I still haven't put a scratch on you! Gimme everything you got! Come at me!"

"What are you planning?" Todoroki demanded. "Everything I've got? Did my bastard of a father pay you off or something? You're pissing me off!"

Halyn winced as the two clashed again, Midoriya hitting Todoroki straight in the gut. It made her rub her own stomach in response. The hit wasn't enough to send Todoroki out of the ring, though, or keep him down. Even sitting where she was, Halyn could tell that out of the two of them...Midoriya was the worst off. She doubted that even Recovery Girl could heal all of those wounds in one, or even two sessions. It was reckless, but she could tell it wasn't mindless. Midoriya was anything but mindless.

"Why're you going this far?" Todoroki demanded.

"Just trying to meet expectations! A smiling, dependable, cool hero...that's what I wanna be! That's why I'm giving it everything! For everyone! Your experiences...your **determination**...I can't even begin to imagine what all that's like, but if you become number one without giving it your all then I don't really think you're serious about denying him everything!" Midoriya insisted.

"Shut up..." Todoroki growled.

"That's why I have to win! I have to surpass you!" Midoriya continued, the two meeting blow for blow.

"I'll show my father-"

"Your power is your own!" Midoriya yelled, cutting off Todoroki.

Finally, Midoriya accomplished what he had set out to do. Halyn was forced to squint when Todoroki's flames roared to life. With the sight of Todoroki's flames, somewhere in the audience, his father called out to him, seemingly believing that Todoroki has accepted the fate his father had chosen for him. Halyn knew differently. Todoroki wasn't even aware of his father. She could see that in the way Todoroki had zeroed in his attention on Midoriya.

With both of them now fighting at their fullest, the match was about to jump to heights that neither could really handle. Cemetoss and Midnight jumped in, knowing it would end badly if they didn't. Still, the resulting blast was enough to make Halyn curl in on herself to keep from being knocked out of her seat. When the wind died down, she straightened out, peering down at the smoke covered ring below.

" _What the-?! What's with your class?_ " Present Mic demanded of Aizawa.

" _All that chilled air was heated in an instant, making it expand._ " Aizawa replied.

" _What a blast, though. And what heat! Can't see a thing. Has the match been decided?_ " Present Mic asked.

Halyn stood to her feet, leaning over the wall in front of her to peer down at the ring, ignoring her friends when they told her not to lean too far out. Her tail drew still as she waited for the smoke to clear. When it finally cleared enough where she could see, her tail gave a flick at the sight of who was the only one still standing in the ring.

" _Midoriya is out-of-bounds! Todoroki moves on to the third round!_ "

Halyn turned on her heel and took off. She ignored the calls of her friends as she hurried out of the stands and for the nurse's office. Midoriya looked like he was in bad shape and she wouldn't rest until she had checked in on him. On her way down to the nurse's office, she came across Todoroki just as he was walking past his father. The two looked up at her as she paused as the end of the hall, but after one blink, she turned on her heel and hurried along.

She was pretty sure she could make her way past her next match, which would mean that, in the third round, she would face Todoroki. From the intense burning in her back that suggested he was watching her walk away, she had a feeling that Todoroki knew he would face her in the third round.

She hadn't been sure before, but now...she couldn't think of a better time to show case her quirk than against Todoroki.

-0-0-0-0-

After a brief break in which Cemetoss had to completely rebuild the ring, the matches continued. Halyn, after checking in on Midoriya, now stood in the ring across from Shiozaki, her tail lashing to show just how ready she was for the match to start. Instantly, just as she had done at the start of her match with Ida, Halyn dropped into a crouch, hands flat on the ground, her back side rising so her tail curled over her head. A grin curled her lips as her tail lashed once and then drew still.

" _Our two lovely ladies, one of green, the other of blue. Which will prevail?! Shiozaki versus Leander! START!_ "

The word "start" wasn't but half out of Present Mic's mouth when Halyn moved, her burst of speed taking Shiozaki by surprised. She tried to react in time, her thorns springing forth, but Halyn easily twisted out of the way coming to a sliding halt behind Shiozaki. A jab of the elbow took out Shiozaki's knees, sending her tumbling backwards. Halyn caught her on her back and, with a simple flip, flipped the other girl right out of the ring.

" _That was fast...You saw it people! In less than a minute, Leander snagged the victory and moves on to the semi-finals!_ " Present Mic announced.

Halyn was quickly at Shiozaki's side then, holding out a hand to help the other girl to her feet, an apologetic smile on her face.

"Sorry about that. I wanted to end the match without getting ripped a new one by your thorns." Halyn told her as she took hold of her hand.

"It's alright. We're all trying to win here, right?" Shiozaki replied in understanding.

Halyn's tail curled happily as she smiled brightly. Despite the way Monoma treated her class, she rather liked some of the members of Class B. They had a lot of spirit and spunk and she liked that. Halyn held out her hand to Shiozaki, smiling brightly at her.

"Friends, then?" she asked.

Shiozaki looked down at Halyn's hand and then back at her smiling face. It was hard to seen the arrogant, high and mighty person that Monoma made the whole of Class A out to be. Halyn honestly just wanted to be friends. Finally, returning Halyn's smile, she took the girl's hand.

"Friends." she agreed.

Halyn's smile grew to impossible levels, her tail curling in joy. Together, the two left the ring. They chatted as they returned to the stands, Halyn waving to Shiozaki as they parted ways. Halyn had just taken her seat when the next match started. It was over quickly, though not as quickly as Halyn's match against Shiozaki but the next match after that, lasted a little longer; Bakugo versus Kirishima. Ultimately, though, Bakugo won.

With that, the final four were announced: Todoroki, Halyn, Bakugo, and Tokoyami.

Halyn, standing in her prep room, bounced from one foot to the other, shaking her hands out as she took deep breaths in and out to calm her nerves. By the time it was time for her to head to the ring, she had regained her cool. Giving herself one more shake, she headed for the ring.

" _Our lady of speed and agility and our lord of fire power! Todoroki vs. Leander!_ "

Todoroki stared across the ring at Halyn as, with an easy smile on her face, she stretched out her shoulders. She seemed to be blissfully unaware of the situation she was in and it made him feel bad since she was never anything but nice to him.

He was intrigued, though, to see how she would handle this match. In the time since she had come to their class, he had noticed that she tended to fly below the radar, content to never really draw attention. Then, after the USJ incident, he had done some digging on her. The rumors and tales that surrounded the girl were...astounding, to say the least. But it was possible that that was all they were; rumors. Not that it mattered at the moment. She, like Midoriya, was an obstacle in his way.

Either way, he felt he owed her a warning, at least.

"You should bow out."

Halyn perked up, her eyes rising to meet his as she dropped her arm. For a moment, she stared into his eyes, but then she smiled, her head tilting slightly to one side as a little chuckle left her.

"Oh? And why is that?" she asked.

"The answer is obvious." he replied.

"Is it now? Well, call me dense then. I hate to break it to you, but I'm not going anywhere. I've been looking forward to this. If anything, you should try to take this match a little bit more seriously. Or have you forgotten...you don't know what my quirk is." Halyn told him, all with a gentle and cheerful tone.

She wasn't being arrogant and she wasn't trying for bravado either. She was giving him an honest, straight forward warning and he knew it. He, like everyone else in their class, like their teachers even, didn't know what her quirk was and she never felt the need to share. In every fight, in all combat training, she had relied solely on her own wits and hand-to-hand combat. He had no idea what he was walking into and, judging from the grin on her face, she knew it made him slightly nervous. He would have to act quickly.

"Match...START!"

Halyn's eyes widened, her gym jacket flying up as, with an up swing of his hand, Todoroki sent ice exploding upward once more, just as he had done in his match against Sero. Just like in that match, in a blink of an eye, an ice wall sprouted from the ring, rocketing upward until it stood taller than the stadium itself. Fog from the sudden change in temperature, filled the ring and where Halyn had stood, was all ice now.

It was a little cruel, he knew, not giving her a moment to try to fight back when she had admitted herself that she had been looking forward to it, but he couldn't afford to find out, in mid battle, what her quirk was and what it could do.

" _How cold! Looks like it's over for Leander before it could begin!_ " came Present Mic's voice over the speakers.

Midnight, who had managed to dodge the icy attack this time, scanned the foggy smoke covering the ring, but could find no signs of Halyn. She was just about to call it when something caught Todoroki's attention. A shadow had fallen over him, growing in size. Catching onto what that meant as gasps rang out from the crowd, Todoroki threw his head back, looking upwards. His eyes widened when he came face to face with the soles of Halyn's size eight boots.

Todoroki dived to the side, hitting the ring floor and rolling away as Halyn crashed into the spot where he had just stood. She landed squarely on her feet, her tail lashing out as if to act as balance support and her knees bending. Just as quickly and easily, she sprang back from him, putting distance between the two of them. Todoroki stared at her, eyes wide in shock. There was not a single touch of frost on her or her clothes. How she had escaped his ice, he didn't know.

"I'm telling you, Todoroki...you're going to have to take this more seriously than you are. I've been watching everything about you since I first came to our class. You and everyone else. Not that any of you have noticed." Halyn remarked, her hands going to her hips. "I don't particularly like the center stage, you know what I mean? Way too much attention to get done what I need to get done. I prefer to fly below the radar. You know, that whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing."

Yeah, he knew what she meant. While she had an appearance that drew people's eyes, most dismissed her as a pretty face after a while. She was good with hand-to-hand combat and when it came to grades, she excelled there too, though her math skills could use a little more tweaking. But she usually didn't do anything to draw attention and tended to fade into the background.

Just like...

"The obstacle course." Todoroki said lowly, his eyes widening.

"Looks like you're piecing it together. Yes, just like in the obstacle course. You and Ka-chan didn't even realize I was right behind you until I stepped on your shoulders. In fact, I highly doubt even those watching noticed my presence until I made myself center stage by upstaging the two of you." Halyn replied honestly. "It's a little trick I've picked up over the years. Comes in handy. You see, I fly below the radar, everyone's radar, and while I don't usually go for big events like this, it's kind of a necessary evil. I'm very glad, in this case, that I was able to keep my quirk a secret up until this point. It makes for gathering my fuel so much easier."

"What do you mean?" Todoroki asked.

Halyn, in good nature, shrugged her shoulders. She didn't seem the least bit inclined to reveal anything just yet.

"Let me ask you this...how do you think I avoided your ice?" she asked.

There could have been several answers to that question. After all, she apparently had managed to avoid his ice back during the obstacle course, though he still didn't know how. She could have just dodged the ice and rode it up, or she could have used her quirk. Either way, it was a problem for him.

"You either dodged or you finally used your quirk." he guessed.

"Both, actually. You see...I decided you would be the one I finally used my quirk against. A way of showing how much I respect your strength, but also for another reason." Halyn told him.

"Another reason?" he asked, confused.

"Call it kinship, if you will, because that's what I feel towards you. You and I are more alike than you know." Halyn said, smiling softly at him.

He didn't understand what she could possibly mean. How in the world was the cheerful, brightly smiling Halyn anything like him? Then he remembered the Italian article he had read about the young daughter of a pair of Italy's top heroes. Perhaps, just perhaps, there were some similarities between them.

"If that's the case, then what is your quirk?" he demanded.

"You really want to know?"

Something about the grin that sprawled across her face, put Todoroki on edge. He had a feeling he was going to regret this, but he gave a curt nod in answer. Halyn's tail twitched, much like that of a cat about to pounce on it's prey.

"Fine, then we're going to play a little game. Let's see if you'll be the first person to win." Halyn said, curling her left hand into a fist and pulling it back. "I'll give you three chances to guess my quirk and a couple of hints to help you. Hold on tight. Here's your first hint."

Halyn swung her fist as hard as she could, her fist connecting with the ring floor. The result was a reaction like if someone had placed a bomb under the ring. The ring floor broke apart, exploding up and out, sending pieces, Todoroki along with them, into the air. It was almost as if All Might or even Midoriya, had used their quirk on the ring.

Knelling on what remained of the ring floor, Halyn tapped her finger tips together, standing to throw her arms out wide.

"Here's your second hint!" she called.

Everything now falling through the air, froze, the chunks of the ring hanging in the sky. To Todoroki it was almost like Uraraka's quirk or maybe a time freezing quirk.

"What's your first guess, Todoroki?" Halyn called up to him, crouching on the spot.

Of course, there was the first thought that jumped into his mind. She could either copy other quirks, like Monoma, or she had some kind of matter manipulation quirk. Either would be a good guess. He would just have to suggest both and see if either were correct.

"You can copy others' quirks." he called back.

If possible, her grin grew, displaying sharp made a noise like that of a game show buzzer before she launched herself into the air, the strength of her legs ricocheting her from ring chunk to chunk so quickly that all he could do to defend himself from her kick when she reached him, was throw up his arms in a guard.

"Wrong! I'm not Monoma."

The force of the kick sent him flying into another chunk, knocking the air from his lungs. The girl had so much strength in her legs that it was ridiculous. Any harder and he was sure she would have broken his arm.

Halyn landed where he had previously been perched and gave a little jump. Todoroki had to make a jump for another floating chunk when the one she had just hopped on, came crashing down towards his. The two boulders collided, raining smaller pieces down on the ring below.

"Your next guess please." Halyn prompted, almost purring like a contented house cat.

Todoroki looked up, finding her clinging to the underside of a another boulder with ease. It was as if the cement was suddenly made of glue or something. Perhaps his second guess was right and she had the ability to change and manipulate matter. That would explain how she could vanish and reappear so easily during battle training.

"Matter Manipulation." he guessed, inwardly wondering why he was playing her "game" to start with.

"Ooo! That's a new one. Interesting sounding quirk, but, once again, you're wrong. Here, let me give you another hint." Halyn offered.

Todoroki's eyes widened and he moved quickly as she launched herself at him. Good thing he did. He was taken by surprise as an explosion went off in her hand, shattering the boulder he had been sitting on. Without a doubt in his mind, that was Bakugo's quirk, but Halyn had already said that her quirk wasn't the ability to copy another quirk.

That meant...

Todoroki looked up at Halyn as she swung herself up onto a boulder floating over his head. She was making sure to keep the high ground. His eyes watched her as she crouched there, looking down at him in anticipation.

"Your next guess? Careful, it's your last one." she purred.

Todoroki knew his next answer wasn't a guess. He was pretty sure that it was going to be correct. He knew, now, that she had just gone from one quirk to a completely different one. She said she didn't copy quirks and it was almost as if she already knew how to use each quirk, as if they had become apart of her, absorbed into her very system. No, he knew he would be right this time.

"You can steal other's quirks."

Silence fell over the stadium as all eyes fixed on Halyn who silently stared at Todoroki for a moment. A heartbeat passed, then another, then her lips slowly curled up and her tail gave a pleased flick.

"Well, what do you know...we have a winner."

END

Kyandi: Before anyone jumps on me about over powering abilities, please read the next chapter.

Halyn: There's more to my quirk than meets the eye. But a lot of people sure were banking on it being feline related.

Kyandi: Oh, I know. That's why I made you cat-like.

Halyn: Even though it's more of a learned habit I've picked up from living around my feline-like brothers all these years.

Kyandi: Yep. Everyone, please continue reading because, in the next chapter, you get to learn a bit about Halyn's past and why she's so secretive and trains like she does.

Halyn: I have a very good reason.

Kyandi: Yes, you do. So everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: We will return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	9. Truth Behind Leander Halyn

Kyandi: We have returned!

Halyn: We apologize for the wait.

Kyandi: Right. When I first planned out this chapter, I imagined it in several different ways, so I had to take all the notes I wrote down and pick and choose the best parts.

Halyn: It took a little longer than she thought.

Kyandi: Yeah, but, in this chapter, all of you get to learn a little bit more about Halyn's past.

Halyn: And what makes me the person I am today.

Kyandi: Right, so I won't keep you guys waiting any longer. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 9 Truth Behind Leander Halyn

" _Well, what do you know...we have a winner_."

Todoroki didn't even have a moment to process that before Halyn gave another hop, sending her current perch hurtling towards him. Pressing her fingertips together, much like Uraraka did when she released what she floated, Halyn released all her boulders. Todoroki managed to form a shield of ice to protect himself. When he finally dug his way out from under the rubble, Halyn was perched on top of a pile of rubble, her tail flickering as she patiently waited.

"Most people never figure it out, but I knew you were an exceptionally clever person. I don't copy quirks. My quirk, to be exact, is called Assimilation. It allows me to partially, or fully, assimilate another person's quirk into my being to then use as I please, for however long I please. I can assimilate several at once and am not limited by the type of quirk. I can also keep or get rid of those quirks as I see fit. Of course, if I fully assimilate a quirk, it's gone forever from it's original holder. Unless I feel like giving it back, that is." Halyn explained.

She left out all of the draw backs to her quirk, like the fact that if the original holder of a stolen quirk died before she could discard the quirk, she was stuck with it permanently, and the fact that she couldn't assimilate more than five quirks at a time without pushing her body past it's limits. There was even the fact that she had to train her body harder and harder just to be able to accommodate some of the quirks she took and the fact that she had to come in contact with the person in order to steal their quirk. She didn't need anyone to know those parts.

Up in the stands though, pro heroes begun to mutter to each other about the potential of a hero with such a quirk, not realizing just how hard she had to work just to handle her quirk. As a person who didn't really like being center stage, Todoroki could see why Halyn didn't needlessly share with others what her quirk was.

All Might, though, was staring down at her in wide eyed horror. Her quirk...it was too much like someone else's for his peace of mind. Hers was a rare quirk and he had only met one other person with one similar. A person who had used his quirk for evil. And from the looks of it, Halyn had already taken Midoriya's, Bakugo's, and Uraraka's quirks.

"Midoriya, Ka-chan, and Ochaco don't have to worry, though. I only temporarily borrowed a fraction of their quirks' power. They will still have full use of their quirks, even if I decide to discard what I took." Halyn added, hoping it would put her friends' minds at ease.

"A quirk like that is strong. It must have its limits and draw backs." Todoroki remarked.

Halyn spread her hands, shrugging her shoulders easily. Once again, she wasn't inclined to share. Not at the present moment.

"Who knows. If it does, it's not like I'm going to say anything." she replied.

Honestly, he couldn't expect anything else from her. No hero in their right mind would publicly divulge the limit to their powers and their weaknesses. And Halyn was no fool.

"Honestly, though, that's not what you should be focusing on right now." Halyn added.

"What do you mean?" Todoroki asked.

"Think about it for a moment. I'm a quirk user with the ability to steal another's quirk, without them ever knowing what happened. After all...I snagged three without their holders being the wiser. What, pray tell, does that mean considering the teachers we have?" Halyn offered in a purr.

Across the stadium, whether it was Halyn's classmates or her teachers, several people were suddenly hit with the realization that Halyn could possess any number of high powered quirks in her thin body. Especially after the fight at the USJ.

"Especially considering who our home room teacher is...I could end this fight rather quickly if I wanted to."

Todoroki tensed as the meaning behind her words weighted on him. He knew exactly what she meant. Given all the time they had spent in Aizawa's class without anyone knowing her quirk...she would of had any number of chances to snag Aizawa's quirk and assimilate it into her body. If that was the case, she could negate his quirk, leaving them with hand-to-hand combat. She had already proven to be better than him where that was concerned. The girl trained long and hard so not to have to rely on her quirk.

She knew she was better with hand-to-hand combat.

"But I won't do that."

Todoroki blinked in surprise as Halyn smiled sweetly at him.

"Come again?" he asked.

"It might be a logical means to a quick end, and in a real fight with a villain, believe me I hold no qualms against using every trick I possess, but this is a fight between two classmates and I'm not a villain. I won't be so unfair to a friend. Call me foolish, if you will, but I want this to be a fight that, at the end, we can both be proud of it." Halyn told him. "Besides...I'm against fully stealing another's quirk. I won't do it unless I absolutely have no other choice. I know how heart broken I would be to lose a part of myself like that. I won't do it to another if I can help it."

A fight he could be proud of, huh? It was an interesting thought to consider. That being said, he was more focused on the last thing she had said. After the incident at the USJ, after seeing her handle those villains somewhat like a seasoned pro, he had done a little digging. No one got that good without a lot of experience and hard work. Something drove Halyn harder than just pushy family or high expectations. While digging, he had come across a very interesting event in her past that had explained all he needed to know about Halyn's improvement and about the girl in general.

"Tell me then...did you have no other choice against the villain Flame Lash? Was completely taking his quirk how you beat him at the age of seven?" Todoroki asked.

For the first time since he met her, the smile fell from Halyn's face, her eyes widening in surprise. Her stance never faltered, but he knew he had just managed to shake her by the froze state of her posture. Then her expression schooled itself into a neutral line as more muttering filled the stands.

Flame Lash, a villain known internationally as a sly and horribly underhanded man, even among villains. He had last been seen in Italy a good eight years back where he had finally met his downfall and had, just a month later, died in prison. Rumors had it that the villain had fallen to the hands of a child in possession of a devastating quirk. Digging into Halyn's past had lead Todoroki to a lot of crossing points between her and Flame Lash.

"Yeah...it was."

Todoroki was surprised she had actually admitted it. If it had been him, he would have avoided the subject, would have waved it away. Anything to avoid the memory. But Halyn, with a serious look on her face, admitted it.

"Though, to be honest, I only took his quirk and used it against him to free myself. He was taken down when my brothers finally found me and finished the fight. I see you did some digging into my past, huh? Let me guess, I piqued your interest after the incident at the USJ?" Halyn asked.

"Yeah."

If she was going to be honest, then so was he.

"Well, good job then. I knew you were clever, but I was kind of hoping you weren't **that** clever. Yes, when I was seven, after my mother died and my father abandoned me, I was kidnapped and held prisoner by the villain Flame Lash because of a grudge he held against my father. He held me captive...for seven long months." Halyn admitted.

Seven months.

She remembered those seven months rather vividly. No amount of time changed that or the vivid dreams she sometimes had. During that time, she had become the villain's personal punching bag. At that age, she had thought her quirk to be useless, without any real use in battle and, in turn, had thought herself useless and no good as a hero. That is...until she had reached a breaking point where it was a choice between being broken or raising above and beyond.

"Those seven months," Todoroki started.

"Were hell. Pure, painful hell. But you know what, I learned that what doesn't kill me, will make me stronger. I'll stand taller, hit harder, and fighter longer. I bear my scars as a badge of honor and pride...a badge of survival. In fact...I'm actually grateful to Flame Lash." Halyn told him.

"Grateful? From what the articles said, you were half dead when they found you." Todoroki replied.

Instead of flinching from the memory, Halyn smiled.

"Sounds about right. I felt half dead, too. But I'm grateful none the less. I thank him for teaching me a thing or two. I thank him for the pain, for that, too, was a lesson I took to heart. Because of him I now know I'm stronger than I ever knew and I'm stronger because of him. The day he crossed my path was just my beginning and now I know I can become stronger and continue on, even when odds are stacked against me." Halyn told him.

"And you continue to fight despite all the pain." Todoroki stated in amazement.

"You want to know why I fight so hard this way? It's because of that part of me that's thankful for the pain. Because of the lesson I learned from it, I stay positive and push forward, I do what's right for me and those around me. I smile and insist that the world is just fine, even if it feels like there's parasites eating at my spine." Halyn declared. "And that time helped me to realize something."

"What was that?" he asked.

"It helped me to realize my goal in life, my reason for fighting. It helped me reconfirm that I wanted to spend my life fighting for others, helping others. I realized why I wanted to be a hero in the first place. It reignited the fire that drives me. Yes, I found myself trapped in the darkness, but the beauty of that darkness was that it helped me appreciate the light all the more. I will fight on, smile on my face. I'm going to stand my ground even if others back down. I will stand in the fallout zone and act as a buffer between others and that that seeks to harm them, because **that's** the kind of hero I want to be. In everything I do, I will give my heart and soul because I don't want to regret a single day of this life I've been given." Halyn declared loudly and proudly, her hands curling into fists as another brilliant smile curled her lips up.

Despite an event that would have ruined others, she smiled. Despite the painful memories it must have left her with, she laughed. Despite the fact that it happened because her father had abandoned her all alone, she saw each day with a ray of sunshine. Because of her smile, no one, not even the adults around her, could have imagined that something like that had happened to her.

Despite the darkness that have invaded her life, she refused to be anything but her cheerful self.

"So, right here and right now, I'll fight you with all I got, but I want you at your best! So face me with all you got, Todoroki. Forget that there are pro heroes watching, forget that your father is here judging your actions. Fight however you will, whether that is with just one or both of your sides, I don't care. That's your prerogative. Whatever happened, whatever it is that is messing with you, let it out, go all out. Focus on me, let go of whatever it is that's weighting you down. And when the chips fall where they may, I want to know it was a fight you could leave with a smile on your face. Fight me like there is no tomorrow!"

Todoroki was amazed with Halyn. She had hit him on the head, knew that something was wrong, and this was her way of offering him an outlet. She was telling him to go all out, to let it all go and she would take in all he gave her.

As she had said, the buffer between others and the fallout zone.

Even while they were fighting for top spots in the festival, she was still extending a helping hand, as any friend would. Just as Midoriya had done.

Why were they both trying so hard to help him.

"Why?" he asked.

Halyn didn't need to know what he meant.

"I told you. I feel a kinship to you and besides...you're my friend. I'll always help my friends. I'll always find a way to help those in need, even if they don't ask me to. If I have one thing I want you to take from this fight, it would be this advice...You want to be a hero, right, Todoroki? Then be one! You're not bound by the blood of your father, just as I'm not!" Todoroki froze then. Her words...they were so much like the ones his mother had spoken to him so long ago. "We are not our parents, Todoroki. You decide who you want to become, not him! A true hero is not decided by their blood or their quirk. They're decided by what's right here." Halyn placed a hand over her heart. "So stop holding back. Show me the heart of the real Todoroki Shoto! If you can't...then you'll fail, right here and now, because I'm not pulling my punches. I respect you far too much to do that."

He couldn't say no. When she smiled so brightly and earnestly at him like that, when she showed him what drove her, laid it all bare at his feet for him to either step on or pick up, when she showed him the fire that fueled her fighting, he couldn't really deny her. He felt the corners of his mouth tug up a bit into a tiny smile. She truly was something else.

 _Leander Halyn, you are truly a frightening person._

"Then the same goes for you." he told her, taking his stance.

He thought her smile couldn't get any wider, but then it did. She let out an over joyed laugh, her eyes shining brightly as she dropped into a crouch, her tail lashing in excitement.

"But, of course. May the stronger fighter win and whoever wins, no hard feelings." she agreed. "Just be careful...I'm a very clever kitty."

As if a silent bell for round two had been called, the two moved, the real fight starting. Whatever anyone could say about Halyn, she was no push over. She met him, blow for blow, countering his hits and giving as good as she got. She wasn't giving him an inch and was honestly pushing him to give the fight all his attention. He couldn't focus on anything else but her, when fighting her.

She wouldn't let him.

Todoroki learned quickly that Halyn was very agile, flexible, and slippery as hell. Just when he thought he had her, she would find a way to just barely slip out of his grip. Even if it had her bending her body in ways that couldn't possibly be humanly possible.

He almost let slip on his fire powers once, causing Halyn to back track out of his way quickly, but he quickly caught himself and buckled down. He still wasn't sure how he felt about his fire powers.

Halyn, who had flipped herself over backwards to put distance between them, landed in a crouch, her tail currently twice it's normal size due to the fur puffing out. He had probably startled her.

"Well, hell's bells. Are you actually feeling threatened by me, Todoroki?" she asked playfully, her tail curling over her shoulder so she could run a hand over the fur, flattening it back down.

"It seems you're the one threatened. Your tail always keeps you honest." he remarked as she rose to her feet, a laugh escaping her.

"You think? True or not, it would be rather ridiculous to constantly be looking to my tail to tell rather or not you actually got a certain reaction out of me." Halyn replied. "Not to mention highly inappropriate since that would also require you to look in the vicinity of my backside."

She joked about it, but Todoroki didn't take her as the type of person to be alright with a guy's eyes wondering to certain areas of her body. She had already shown to have very little patience with Mineta and his perverted ways.

"It's about the only part of you that is up front and can be taken at face value." he told her.

"Whatever secrets I may keep, I have **never** lied to you. If you would merely ask, I would tell you all you want to know." Halyn replied.

Before he could say anything else, Halyn was moving once more. When he saw her draw back her left fist, as she had done before she had broken up the ring, his instincts took over. He didn't need her to hit him with all the destructive force Midoriya's quirk could muster. His flames sprang forth before he could think to stop them.

Halyn jumped back as quickly as she could, but the flames caught her before she could go too far. When Todoroki saw her clothes catch fire, he drew his flames back, instantly feeling bad, but what he saw surprised him.

"Well...that got a little warmer than I thought it would."

Todoroki stared, wide eyed at Halyn who stood before him, patting out smoking spots on what remained of her clothes with arms that were now lobster red in certain spots. She had defended herself with her arms and while some of her clothes had burned away, she seemed to have come out of it alright.

Her clothes, though...

Todoroki's eyes traveled over her clothes for a moment before rocketing back up to her face. Halyn had been left in nothing more than a pair of what looked like short sliders and the sports bra-like top she had been wearing under her gym clothes, only a tiny fraction of her jacket left to hang down to the bottom of her rib cage in a ragged and burned state. Even the top half of her boots had been burned away. Yet, between that and the burns now littered about her body, Halyn seemed perfectly fine.

"I'm glad I thought ahead for this match and wore fire-proof clothes under my gym clothes. At least one of us wouldn't have been happy if you had managed to burn away all of my clothes." Halyn said idly. It was then that she looked up to see the look on his face. "What is it?"

Instead of answering her, his eyes traveled to her arms, which had received most of the damage from his flames. Halyn followed his gaze to her arms, looking them over.

"You don't feel the pain?" he asked.

"From these? Oh, come on, Todoroki. They aren't even bad enough to be considered second degree burns. See? No blisters." Halyn replied, holding up her arm for him to see. When he just continued to stare at her, she heaved a sigh. "Do you know what pain asymbolia is?"

"Pain asymbolia?" Todoroki repeated.

"It's also called pain dissociation. It's a condition in which a person registers harmful stimuli but doesn't actually feel the pain. It's usually the result of an injury to the brain, like, say...a seven year old repeatedly having her head banged into a wall."

Oh.

Wait...

"You mean-"

"I register the feeling of pain, but am not bothered by it. Basically...I don't feel pain." Halyn confirmed. "It actually comes in handy. See, I'm well aware of how far I can push my body before it breaks, but until I reach that limit...it's all free game to me."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that whether it's a burning building or having to remove shrapnel from my body to continue fighting...I don't hesitate." Todoroki ducked to the side as Halyn threw herself into the fight once more. He caught her leg when she kicked at him, wincing in a mix of pain from the impact of her kick as well as the fact that she had just hit him with a leg covered in burns. "I know exactly what my body's limits are and how much damage it can take and, just like with my quirk, I don't push it any further than that unless it's absolutely necessary. But without the fear or crippling burden of pain, I don't hesitate to jump in anymore."

That he could see. Despite the lack of proper clothes and despite the burns on her body, she continued to attack and dodge his attacks as if neither had happened. Did she not register hot and cold, either?

Up in the stands, their classmates watched the fight with wide eyes. Many of them had suspected that Halyn held back during battle training, but that she had been hiding all of this? They watched as the girl, with no fear of her wounds, threw herself around the ring. They now understood how she had walked away from the USJ incident not feeling a single one of the bruises she had.

"Whoa...Leander's hard core." Kaminari remarked.

"To think she had to face something like that when she was so little." Uraraka remarked.

"She certainly doesn't let it effect her, that's for sure." Kirishima replied.

Down below, they watched as Halyn suddenly slid to a stop in the middle of the ring, pulling a hand back. Todoroki, who had just come within reach of her, instantly backtracked but didn't move quick enough. Halyn clapped her hands together, an explosion ringing out. It was a smaller explosion compared the one Todoroki had caused during his match with Midoriya, but it was enough to fill the ring with smoke.

Todoroki caught himself before he could slid out of the ring and, taking advantage of the smoke, charged in. He took her by surprised, tackling her from the side. The two hit the ground rolling, both bidding for the top. Todoroki, with the superior size, ended up winning and pinned her to the ground. When the smoke cleared and he was finally able to see her face, he found her cheeks had turned a little pink.

"You taking this serious is great and all, but...Todoroki, your hand." she told him, her tone conveying embarrassment.

Todoroki looked down at his hand and instantly saw what was causing her embarrassment. Sometime during their tumble, when he had reached out with his right hand to grip her and pin her to the ground, his right hand had ended up groping her left breast. He could actually hear Mineta's cry of jealousy from up in the stands. Realizing what he had done, he quickly released her, throwing his hands up.

Which was a mistake.

In the next second, Halyn had managed to slip out from under him, caught his head between her calves and flipped, slamming him into the ground. With a flip, she flipped herself away from him and continued back until she had a good distance between them.

"I didn't expect that to happen." she muttered to herself, arms pressed to her chest.

Talk about embarrassing. And on live TV, at that.

Her brothers were going to kill Todoroki.

Speaking of which...Halyn turned her attention to Todoroki as he was getting up, rubbing at his head. She knew she had slammed him into the ground hard, because there was a little blood. Now was the best chance to attack and push.

Todoroki had just barely turned around when Halyn was in his face. He knew, in that moment, that holding back was impossible.

Another explosion rocked the ring as Todoroki's flames met Halyn's borrowed explosion. Even before the smoke cleared, there was a flash within the smoke as the two collided again. Halyn came flying out of the smoke, barely catching herself before she could fly out of what remained of the ring. One arm was burned and bloody, but she didn't notice. She crouched where she landed, peering into the smoke, her tail frozen.

It twitched right before flames came rocketing out of the smoke. With a simple bunch of her legs, she launched herself into the air, avoiding the fire. Her feet no sooner touched the ground and she was racing towards Todoroki, hitting him in the gut just as the smoke cleared. The two hit the ground, Halyn jamming her feet into his gut to heave him over her head. She was back on her feet by the time he rolled to his.

In the next breath, they were exchanging blows again. Todoroki couldn't believe how far she was willing to go. And for what? Him? He couldn't even begin to understand why she cared.

Up in the stands, Endeavor watched the match, intrigued. He had never come across someone with Halyn's quirk and watching her fight his son, showed him just how compatible the two could be in a fight. It got him to thinking as he watched the two teenagers meet each other, hit for hit.

The tension in the ring was building, just like the speed of their hits. It was starting to look like Midnight and Cemetoss, just like in Todoroki's match against Midoriya, would have to step in. Halyn was getting pretty beat up, not that she seemed to notice. While not feeling pain seemed like a good thing, it could also be dangerous. Halyn claimed she knew how far she could push her body before it became too much, but her teachers were starting to wonder if that was true.

Todoroki was starting to wonder too. He was sure, in one attack, that he had broken a bone in her left leg, but Halyn continued as if nothing had happened. When Halyn slid back from on attack, she decided to put all she had left into one last attack. Cemetoss and Midnight knew this would end in a large clash and jumped in. Cemetoss stood, ready to create a wall to stop the two, but it was then that Halyn's eyes locked on him. In that moment, Cemetoss' quirk wouldn't work.

His eyes met Halyn, who grinned. She didn't break eye contact with Cemetoss until her attack collided with Todoroki's and the issuing explosion of power, obscured her from sight. Several people in the audience were forced to cover their faces as the heat from the collision blasted up and outward. When they were able to look again, smoke still hung heavy over the ring.

Everyone waited on baited breath for the smoke to clear. When it finally did, everyone was surprised.

" _I don't believe it, people...They're both still standing! But Leander looks awfully beat up! I hope she's alright!_ " Present Mic called into his mic.

Down below, the smoke cleared to show Todoroki, saved from being thrown out of the ring by ice, and Halyn, who was all beat up, standing at opposite ends of the ring. Todoroki had a good portion of his jacket, right across his ribs, torn away from where Halyn had obviously landed a pretty good hit on him. The skin underneath was bleeding, bruising spreading over his ribs, but as bad as it looked, Halyn looked worse.

Her whole body was a display of red, black, and blue. One leg and at least one arm, looked like they were broken, and burns covered the complete length of her left arm, as well as a good portion of her right cheek. Even her tail was bleeding in one spot, the very tip of her tail covered in charred fur. She was breathing heavy, but her expression was still one of determination.

Todoroki stiffened up when she took a step forward, intending to continue the fight. Midnight opened her mouth, to call a stop to the match when it was clear that Halyn was at a disadvantage, but stopped when Halyn wobbled on her feet...and fell backwards. Todoroki remained on guard, even as Halyn hit the ground on her back, limbs sprawled. For a moment, silence stretched.

It was only broken when Halyn...started laughing.

"Haha! What do you know...my body decided for me!" she said joyfully.

Todoroki stared at her in surprise as she laughed. He glanced a Midnight who was sharing a look with Cemetoss, the two adults shrugging their shoulders.

"Leander, can you continue?" Midnight asked.

"No, no, I'm afraid not. If I push any further, I really will push my body pass it's limits. I say now is a good time as any to bow out gracefully." Halyn called back, still sounding cheerful and happy. "But hell's bells! That sure was a fight to be proud of! Haha! You certainly gave me a run for my money, Todoroki!"

"You heard her folks! Todoroki moves on to the next round!" Midnight called out, cheers following.

Todoroki was...shocked. It certainly wasn't how he thought this match would end. He couldn't even begin to describe the feeling bubbling up in his chest. Now relaxing, he approached the stretcher as Halyn was loaded up to be taken to the nurse's office.

"Leander." Halyn turned her deep purple eyes to him as he called out to her. When she saw his face, a smile curled her lips. "Why?"

"You have to ask?" she replied. "I saw the look on your face after your last two matches. I saw sadness and confusion. I don't like seeing looks like that on others' faces if there's something I can do to help and believe me...letting you beat the crap out of me is the **least** I could do for a friend. Besides, look at you." Halyn gestured to him. "You look so much better with a smile on your face."

As they carted Halyn away, Todoroki reached up to touch his own face. Sure enough, unknown to him, he was smiling. So she had gotten her wish and both of them had finished the fight with a smile on their faces. He found himself thinking one sentence, once again.

 _Leander Halyn, you are truly a frightening person._

END

Kyandi: I love writing scenes with you and Todoroki.

Halyn: Clearly. You have so many planned.

Kyandi: Yes, I do. And some of them are really cute and others are really funny.

Halyn: Funny to you.

Kyandi; And the readers. Well, I still have muse in abundance, so I'm going to leave you all here and get to work on the next chapter.

Halyn: So soon?

Kyandi: Yes. So, everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: We will return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	10. Secrets

Kyandi: Greetings all Kyandiacs!

Halyn: We're back and this time, we have two chapters.

Kyandi: I'm getting closer to parts of the series where I had a lot of funny and adorable moments planned.

Halyn: It's just embarrassing to me.

Kyandi: You'll be fine. Everyone can do with a little embarrassment in their life.

Halyn: I suppose so.

Kyandi: Anyway, I have another chapter to attend to, so we'll get on with it.

Halyn: Alright.

Kyandi: Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 10 Secrets

While the ring was fixed and they took a short break, Todoroki made his way to the nurse's office to both check on Halyn and have his own injuries seen to. He was just reaching to push open the cracked door when he heard Midnight talking from the other side of the door.

"That was incredibly irresponsible." Midnight was said. "You do realize how serious your injuries could have been, right? And to use a teacher's quirk to then erase the quirk of another teacher trying to step in...you could have been seriously hurt."

Wait...Halyn had used Aizawa's quirk to erase the quirk of a teacher trying to step in on their match?

"But I'm not. Like I said, Midnight-sensei, I know just how far I can push my body." came Halyn's reply.

"Hmph! I would disagree. A broken leg, a broken arm on top of which you obtained a massive amount of second degree burns, three broken ribs, and a massive amount of various burns and bruises. You could have lost your right eye! That is pushing too far."

That was Recovery Girl and she was clearly not happy with Halyn.

"I've continued fighting with worse before. And I did bow out before getting any more injuries." Halyn protested.

"Only because you couldn't move anymore. That was incredibly reckless, young Leander!"

That voice belonged to All Might. Were all of the teachers in there scolding Halyn for the match? And should he really continue to listen in? Halyn's next words rooted him on the spot.

"But, sir...I just couldn't back down." Halyn protested. Todoroki leaned forward to peer through the crack. He could just make out Midnight and she was blocking his view of Halyn. "I saw the look on his face, I saw the hurting and...I just couldn't leave him like that. What kind of person, what kind of friend, would that make me if I did? I couldn't do it. A hero is suppose to help others, even if they aren't asked to. Given the situation, I couldn't do much, so did the only thing I could do."

Silence stretched for a moment, as if the teachers didn't know what to say. Then Aizawa, who was also in the room, called out.

"You can come in, Todoroki."

Jolted by surprise, Todoroki didn't instantly react. When he finally opened the door fully, all of the teachers were staring at him.

"Todoroki?" Halyn called his name as she leaned around Midnight.

The girl was a sight to see. Most of her burns and bruising was gone, but her left arm was bandaged and sitting in a sling and the right side of her face was mostly covered in bandages. She had changed into a new pair of gym pants and had the jacket half on, the left side just hanging from her shoulder since the arm was in a sling. When she looked at him, she blinked in surprise.

"Can I talk to you?" Todoroki asked, hoping the silent, "alone" would get across to the teachers.

Thankfully it did. Aizawa, who needed to get back to help Present Mic continue with the matches, excused himself first, Midnight following. That left All Might and Recovery Girl, the latter of which turned to Halyn.

"I've healed the broken bone in your leg, so you can walk, but rather or not you can feel the pain, you need to take it easy! And no more of these reckless stunts. Someone in your position has to be very careful." Recovery Girl told her.

"Yes, ma'am, I know. And thank you very much." Halyn told her, bowing her head to her.

Recovery Girl gave a curt nod before jumping down from her chair. All Might promised Halyn that they weren't done talking about her actions before he left the room with Recovery Girl, who stopped long enough to tell Todoroki to come find her when he was done so she could heal his injuries.

Finally, Todoroki and Halyn were alone. Todoroki eyed the door for a moment, giving the adults time to get a good distance from the room before he turned to look at Halyn, who was smiling brightly at him.

"You wanted something from me?" she asked.

Todoroki's eyes scanned her once more, taking in what was left of her injuries before he guiltily looked away.

"Sorry." he told her.

"For what?"

Halyn blinked back at him in confusion and questioning. She honestly didn't see that he had to apologize for anything.

"For being so hard on you." he told her.

Halyn followed his eyes to her arm in the sling. She lift the arm, looking at it before a laugh left her, a smile curling her lips.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I don't feel it, honestly and I was kind of the one that as pushing." she told him.

"Still..."

Halyn watched as Todoroki looked away from her. She could tell easily that he still was upset with himself, seeing how injured she had turned out to be because of him. A soft smile curled her lip as she shook her head.

"Honestly, Todoroki," Todoroki looked up at her, blinking in surprise she she gave him a soft and fond look. "You know, the first day I met you, I just knew you and I were alike. I wasn't aware how, yet, but I could just feel it. Now that I get how your mind works, I have no problem reading you. You're eyes are actually quite expressive."

Todoroki instantly found himself looking away from her yet again. That just made her laugh softly. He glanced at her to find that soft look was still on her face.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked.

"You should give your heart a break for once. If you really feel that bad...go talk to your mother and try to live your life a little more open. Believe me, friends make the world go round."

Todoroki stared at her in wide eyed surprise. The next smile she gave him, was a sheepish one, her right hand coming up to scratch at part of her face not burned.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I went looking for Midoriya when lunch break was called. I kind of over heard you and him. Sorry." she apologized.

He couldn't really be mad at her. Just look how far she had gone to help him. She smiled at him when he looked at her again. He still felt bad about hurting her so bad, even if she couldn't feel it. And, apparently, she could see that in his expression.

"You know, if you really do feel bad about my current state, there is something you can do to make it up to me." she told him. One eyebrow rose in questioning, prompting her to continue. "Call me Halyn and let me call you Shoto."

That was it?

That was all she wanted from him?

Her smile turned into a grin and her tail appeared from behind her, curling over her shoulder. Bandages were wrapped around one part and it looked like someone had trimmed the burnt hair on the tip.

"Instead of the family name, Todoroki, I want to get to know Shoto. What do you say?" she asked.

Really, how could he deny her? Just when he thought he had her figured out, she surprised him once more. He was still confused about how he felt about his fire powers and he had a feeling that he wouldn't come to terms with it until he did as she suggested and saw his mother once more. Whatever he did, he had a feeling that Halyn would always be there if he needed help.

"Yeah, sure." he answered.

Halyn face lit up with the biggest and brightest smile he had seen yet.

"Great! Now, you better hurry up. I don't think Ka-chan will take long with his match." Halyn told him.

Todoroki nodded. He needed to go to the prep room so that he would be ready for his match against Bakugo, for he had no doubt that was who would win. First, he had to find Recovery Girl. Turning, Todoroki opened the door to leave.

"Good luck, Shoto."

Todoroki glanced back over his shoulder, finding Halyn just smiling back at him. He gave her a nod before he was gone. Only when she knew he was gone did she let a small giggle escape her. She could tell it would take him a little time to get use to her calling him by his given name. But at least it seemed she had gotten through to him, at least a little.

For a moment, Halyn sat there, thinking back on the match. A sigh escaped her, her right hand idly rubbing at her left arm even though she was completely unaffected by the pain.

"I can't believe he actually found out about that." she muttered to herself.

Just saying that, the memories came back to her. The whole incident with Flame Lash had really been an issue with her father. Halyn remembered it had started the day her mother had died. Her parents had received the call to deal with a gang whose leader had been causing chaos all over Naples. She could still remember her mother giving her forehead a kiss before they walked out the door.

That had been the last time she had seen her mother alive.

The gang boss they had been sent out to deal with, had been Flame Lash's older brother and boss.

Halyn's father, Philo, had, by that point in his career, grown an ego too big for him to support and it had almost cost him his life. Instead, Halyn's mother, Helka, had saved him, losing her life in process. Philo had finished the job, capturing the gang boss, but he had lost his wife and his will to fight. After her mother's funeral, Halyn remembered her father just silently leaving the house one day. Back then, all of her brother lived outside the household, rather it was that they were away at school, or lived on their own. Halyn had been used to being left home alone and had merely thought her father was going back to his hero work.

Then a day passed, then five, then two weeks.

The whole time, she waited, hoping he would return soon, unsure what to do. So many questions had gone through her seven year old head. Should she call the police, her brothers? Had her father been hurt? Was he dead? Or did he simply not want to be around her, a reminder of his dead wife?

Then Flame Lash had shown up.

She had never encountered such anger before. He had claimed that since her father had taken his brother, his only family in the world, he would take her and wouldn't give her back until her father had met his demands.

But her father never came.

Halyn gave her head a shake, waving away the memories before she could get pulled back into them. That was done and over. She had survived. Her eyes fell to her hands. It was after she had finally been rescued, after her brothers had been informed of Flame Lash's death in prison, that Halyn had found out that she couldn't rid herself of quirks whose original owner was now dead.

Because of that, she would always have the reminder in the form of his quirk, stuck in her body.

"Not his quirk anymore, Halyn. Your's." she reminded herself, giving herself a firm nod.

Giving herself a shake, she put a smile back on her face and psyched herself up to go join her friends and watch the last match. Getting to her feet, she went to leave. She opened the door just as the person on the other side was reaching out to do the same. Halyn blinking in surprise, her eyes traveling up to meet those of the person in front of her.

"Endeavor?" she voiced in shock.

"Good, you're here." he said, looking down at her.

"Do you need something from me, sir?" she asked, confused and curious at the same time.

"I saw your match against my boy." he started, Halyn stepping off to the side when he started into the room.

"Oh?" she replied simply.

"You have a unique quirk, strong. You did well." he told her.

"Um...thank you."

Halyn didn't get what was going on here. Endeavor should be congratulating his son on his victory, not praising her for her defeat. Just what was this man up to? She didn't bother hiding her confused look when he turned to look at her, grin on his face.

"You and my Shoto would make a good pair," he started.

Oh.

Now she knew where this was going.

"Please, sir, allow me to stop you there." Halyn said before he could continue. "I am well aware of the fact that your marriage to Shoto's mother was a quirk marriage and I am not so oblivious that I can't tell that that is where you are going with this."

"And?" Endeavor replied.

"And...that is a choice that lies with me and Shoto. Just like it's his choice what he does with his quirk and his life." Halyn could tell from the expression on his face that he wasn't liking this conversation. "I'm not going to tell him he needs to defy you, but whatever choice he makes, I'll support him, as a friend should. In the end, you can't really expect him to live and strive for a dream that's not his. He would never do it justice because it's not **his** dream. With all due respect, sir, instead of pushing him to be a better version of you, you should be supporting him and encouraging him to be the best version of himself." Halyn turned towards the door to leave, glancing back at Endeavor. "If you can't, you're only going to cause your relationship with your son to get worse and he's just going to end up resenting and hating you. No child should have to hate their father."

With that, Halyn bowed her head to him and left.

She wasn't sure how he would take that, but she had more pressing matters to focus on.

-0-0-0-0-

In prep room two, Todoroki sat at the table, both Midoriya's and Halyn's words to him, ringing over and over. Before his fights with the two, he had never really thought about some of the things that now ran through his head. Like his mother. He had gone so long, pushing her from his thoughts.

His thoughts were cut off when the door was suddenly kicked open. Todoroki turned, finding Bakugo standing in the doorway. Bakugo seemed surprised to see him as well.

"Huh?! Why're you in here...?" Bakugo demanded, leaning around the frame to look at the sign, noticing that it wasn't the right room. "Prep room...ah, crap. This is room two!"

When all Todoroki did was look away from him, it only served to anger Bakugo who didn't like being ignored.

"Hey, I mean I get that I walked into the wrong room, but giving your final opponent the cold shoulder? What's the big idea? Look me in the eye, Two Face!" Bakugo yelled, slamming a hand down on the table, a small explosion going off.

Todoroki was so deep in his thoughts, he didn't even noticed, didn't bother to look up at Bakugo. Instead, his focus was on his hands.

"He...they both went out of their ways to smash what was holding me back." Todoroki remarked idly. "You've been friends with Midoriya since you were kids, right? Was he always like that?"

Bakugo paused for a moment, he expression getting stormier by the second, until his hands curled into fists. His anger raging, he kicked the table Todoroki was sitting at, sending it flying across the room.

"That damned nerd...who the hell cares?! All his stupid speeches, that stupid cat's too, and you! Your family? Your damned feelings? Who cares! Come at me with your left side. Go on. I'll crush those flames like I do everything else." Bakugo snapped.

With that, he walked out of the room.

The two were called to the ring not long after that.

" _At last, we've arrived! The best of the best among UA's first years will be decided! It's the final match...Todoroki versus Bakugo! Now, START!_ "

Todoroki, as he had in two other matches that day, started out big, hoping to catch Bakugo before he could do any attacking. Ice rocketed outward, encasing a good portion of the ring. For a moment, it looked like he might have actually gotten Bakugo, but then the sound of suppressed bangs sounded from within the ice. A moment later, Bakugo, literally, exploded out of the ice.

Halyn had just returned to the stands, and was standing at the top of the stairs, watching as the two fought, Bakugo getting in close as fast as he could. He grabbed hold of Todoroki and threw him. Todoroki saved himself and, in the process, created a wall of ice that sling-shot him back at Bakugo, who was waiting. Bakugo aimed for Todoroki's left side in hopes to bring out his flames, but Todoroki grabbed his arm and threw him back.

Halyn could tell that Bakugo was timing his explosions just so he could be caught by Todoroki's left hand. Just as she could tell that, after her fight with him, Todoroki's attacks were lacking. Had he lost his drive after fighting both her and Midoriya?

Bakugo, to say the least, wasn't happy.

"You'll regret making a fool of me! I'll freaking kill you! I'm taking the first to end all firsts! There's no point in winning against some half-assed punk! No point if I can't do better than Deku! So if you're not trying to win, get the hell outta my face! Why're you even here, you bastard?!" Bakugo demanded.

Why was he there?

Because he wanted to be a hero, but...since his fights with Midoriya and Halyn, he just didn't know what he should do, whether or not what he was doing was right. Midoriya had opened his eyes and Halyn had given her all to support him and give him a fresh start, but...but still.

He just wasn't sure about anything anymore.

"Don't give up, Shoto!"

The sudden voice ringing out over the stadium, had Todoroki's eyes widening, especially when it was followed by another yell of "Don't lose, come on!". Todoroki's eyes turned, seeking out the first speaker. He found her easily. Halyn stood, tall and proud, calling her support of her friend. His eyes shifted to the second speaker, landing on Midoriya as he cheered for him.

The two just wouldn't stop supporting him.

Todoroki's flames roared to life, Todoroki gearing up for his next attack. Bakugo, grinning like a loon, came at him, but Todoroki froze when Halyn's voice reached him again.

"Do this the way **you** want to, Shoto!"

The way he wanted to.

No...he didn't want to do it this way.

Todoroki's flames died just before Bakugo reached him, the explosion rocking the stadium. Everyone waited, watching as the smoke cleared.

" _Bakugo's taken that massive firepower he showed in his fight against Uraraka and added some spin and oomph to it to become a human artillery shell! But Todoroki doesn't seem to have fired off that heat blast he showed us when fighting Midoriya and Leander. In the end..._ "

Bakugo stared in shock at where Todoroki now lay outside the ring, unconscious after snuffing out his own flames. Anger took over and Bakugo ran over to Todoroki, seizing the unconscious boy by his clothes to shake him. In the end, he got so worked up that Midnight had to use her quirk to knock him out. With Bakugo unconscious, he was declared the winner of the tournament and both boys were moved while the arena was cleared. It was during this time that Halyn learned that Ida had to leave due to a sudden crisis with his brother.

She prayed everything would be alright.

Her attention soon switched gears, though.

Much to Halyn's amusement, even after waking up from his short nap, Bakugo continued to go nuts and they ended up binding the boy to a stone pillar and chaining him up with a muzzle over his mouth. With him chained like that, they put him on the first place pillar, Todoroki occupying the second place pillar and Tokoyami and Halyn sharing the third place pillar.

"Now, let's move on to the awards ceremony!" Midnight announced.

Halyn leaned around Tokoyami to peer over at Bakugo who was fighting against his restraints with everything he had.

"What a blood-thirsty beast." Tokoyami remarked.

"Without a doubt." Halyn agreed.

She stood back up straight as Midnight continued.

"Now for the medals! Presenting them this year is...you know who!"

Halyn had to hold back a laugh when Midnight messed up All Might's entrance causing the man to shoot her an annoyed look. He forgave her, quick enough, in order to present the medals. First up, was Tokoyami. All Might took the medal and draped it around the boy's neck.

"Congratulations, Tokoyami, kid! You're a strong one!" All Might told him.

"You honor me too highly." Tokoyami insisted.

All Might pulled the boy into a hug, patting his back.

"But relying on your quirk alone won't be enough to overcome a bad match-up. Hone your innate strength to open a world of opportunity." All Might told him.

"Understood." Tokoyami replied.

All Might turned to Halyn next, draping a medal around her neck before pulling her into a hug as well. Of course, he was careful of her arm, even if she didn't register the pain from it.

"And congratulations to you, Leander, kid. You have quite the quirk. One that could easily be used for bad as well as good." All Might told her, laying his hands on her shoulders as he pulled back.

"That will never happen, sir. You have my solemn oath on that." Halyn told him, her expression serious.

All Might gave her a nod, glad to hear it. He moved on the second place winner, taking the next medal from Midnight to drape it around Todoroki's neck.

"Todoroki, kid. Congratulations. You held back. You didn't use your left side in the final match. Was there a reason for that?" All Might asked.

"It was my matches against Midoriya and Lean...Halyn. I think I've lost my way. And then I heard her call out to do it my way." Todoroki said, staring down at the ground. "I know you've taken an interest in Midoriya. And I'm starting to see why. I've always wanted to become a hero like you. But...it's not like I can just forget and get over things. In that way, I wish I was like Halyn. She has only seemed to grow from her experiences. But forgetting and get over it, isn't enough. There's still something I have to settle first."

All Might liked the look on Todoroki's face. He gave the boy a hug and a pat on the back.

"That's a new look I'm seeing on your face. So say no more. Whatever you must settle, I'm sure you can do it." All Might said, releasing him. "And, if nothing else, you have a friend that will support you through thick and thin. Young Leander seems like she'll always have your back."

Todoroki glanced over at Halyn who was talking with Tokoyami lowly, a smile on her face. He knew All Might was right. Halyn was a friend that wouldn't let her friends fall, even if that meant she had to crumple to the ground to keep them up. Giving Todoroki one more pat on the shoulder, All Might moved on to the first place winner.

"And finally, Bakugo! Well, um. this is..." All Might reached up, removing the muzzle from Bakugo's face. "You lived up to your promise. Wonderful!"

"All Might. This win...it doesn't mean squat. Doesn't matter what anyone says. If I don't recognize it, then that medal's just garbage!" Bakugo snapped.

Halyn leaned around Tokoyami to look at the face Bakugo was making. When she opened her mouth she said what everyone was thinking.

"Wow, what a face...it really is one only a mother could love."

" **Shut up, you rejected cat!** " Bakugo snapped back.

"Ouch, now that stung." Halyn mocked, leaning back.

"Hmph! In a world that's constantly graded on a curve there aren't many who can continuously be on top. So accept this!" All Might said, pulling Bakugo's attention back to him. "As a wound even! So you don't forget!"

"I told you I don't need that junk!" Bakugo snapped.

Halyn couldn't hold back her laughter when All Might tried to put the medal on him anyway and ended up getting the strap stuck in Bakugo's mouth. It was just too difficult not to laugh.

"Well! These are you winners! But hold on, everyone! Everyone here today has the potential to be standing up here! As you all witnessed! Competition! Encouragement! Support! Pushing each other to climb higher and higher! The sprouts of today will grow into the heroes of tomorrow! In that spirit, let's have one final cheer!" All Might called.

Friendships born of worthy competition. It was something that made Halyn smile. After all the hard work of the day, she felt just a little bit closer to some of her classmates and even a few outside of her class. For her, it was a day she wouldn't forget anytime soon.

After the festivities were over, Halyn went in search of Midoriya. There was something she wanted to talk to him about before they were to return to their classroom. She found him walking down a hall with a tall, skeleton thin man.

"Midoriya!"

Both jumped when they heard her speak and turned to look at her as she hurried over to them. She couldn't help but smile at just how similar their looks of surprise were.

"Leander. I-is there something you want?" Midoriya asked.

"Yeah, I need to talk to you about something."

The man turned and tried to excuse himself, but Halyn shook her head.

"You don't have to leave...All Might."

Both Midoriya and the man froze on the spot. Both turned wide eyes on Halyn's serious expression. Midoriya opened his mouth a few times, as if trying to say something, only to not know what to say.

"Yeah, I know it's you. That's the thing about having a quirk that allows you to assimilate the quirks of others. I've tried to assimilate both of your's and I realized something really quick."

"W-what?" Midoriya asked.

"To me, everyone's quirk feels different, even if just slightly, but you two...from what little power I could feel left in All Might, I can tell they're the same. Not similar, the **absolute same**...Not to mention I over heard the two of your talking. Sharp hearing has it's benefits."

She watched as the two looked at each other, as if debating telling her something. Halyn saved them the effort of trying to come up with some kind of lie that would explain away the truth her quirk told her. She gave them both a smile.

"You don't have to worry, sir. I'm not going to say anything to anyone. Not my place. I just wanted to make sure that I'm not going insane. Whatever is going on between the two of you, is none of my business, just tell me...I'm not insane, right? It's kind of a legit concern considering past events."

All Might reached up to rub at the back of his head. He believed her when she said she wasn't going to say anything. She simply wanted reassurance that she wasn't losing her mind. And there was no point in hiding it if she had already over heard them talking.

"Yeah, you're right." he told her.

Halyn released a sigh of relief, patting her chest as if to calm her heart, or something along those lines.

"That's a load off my mind." she remarked.

"Leander...you can't say anything." Midoriya told her.

"Don't worry about it. You're secret is safe with me...as long as you quit calling me by my surname." Halyn told him, giving him a wink.

Midoriya smiled back at her. All Might was sure that Halyn was good to her word. After all, the girl had managed to keep quite a few things secret so far. This would just make her one of those few trusted friends who would know the secret behind All Might and Midoriya's quirk.

But All Might still had his concerns.

His eyes landed on Halyn as she smiled at Midoriya, laughing at something the boy had just said. He couldn't help the bad feelings he was getting after what he had been through in the past, even though he knew that Halyn was a good kid and one completely devoted to being a hero and helping others.

But...but a quirk like hers could so easily go wrong. There were so many possible ways her quirk could be used for bad and he had seen it in action with a villain. It was just difficult to look at her quirk and not see that villain.

He just had to remind himself that she was already heading down the road to be a hero. The girl already had one of the best traits for a true hero; her body moved without her permission when she saw someone in danger.

"And if it'll make you both feel better, I'll tell you two secrets to my quirk."

Both males looked at Halyn as she offered this.

"You don't have to do that." Midoriya told her.

"Yes, I do. Fair is fair." Halyn told him. "The first would be that if I fully assimilate a quirk and it's previous owner dies before I can discard it...I'm stuck with it."

"Like...permanently?" Midoriya asked.

"Yeah. There's no getting rid of it. I found that out after Flame Lash died in prison. I am not stuck with his quirk. It's useful, I suppose. He had a fire based quirk called Dual Whips, that turned his hands into flames that he could then wield as whips." Halyn said, looking down at her right hand as she held it out in front of her. "I have to be very careful on what quirks I even partially assimilate. It's part of the reason I decided to never fully assimilate another quirk unless there are not options left."

Midoriya and All Might both agreed that it was a good reason. While some quirks were useful, she didn't want to end up stuck with one that would only be bad for her.

"As for the second secret...I can only assimilate up to five quirks at a time. Well...four now that I have Flame Lash's quirk. If I try for more, I push my body past its limits and that isn't a pretty sight. My body temperature rises too high, my immune system goes on the fritz, and my whole body feels like it's being ripped apart from the inside. It's the only time I can feel pain anymore." Halyn explained.

"That's rough." Midoriya remarked.

"Yeah. Quirks are physical abilities and I'm sure, with enough time and training, I could push past that limit, but...it just wouldn't be a pretty process. Besides, I think it's a reasonable limit." she replied.

And All Might agreed.

While, yes, Halyn wasn't the villain All Might knew as All For One, her quirk had the potential to be just as devastating as All For One's. As a teacher, he knew he should be pushing her to push past her limits, but he just couldn't see it turning out good for Halyn if she was to find just how vast her power could be past those limits. He only hoped he was wrong.

"Anyway, we best hurry back to class." Halyn said then.

Midoriya agreed, the two turning to leave. Halyn stopped and looked back at All Might, who raised an eyebrow in questioning. Halyn, smile on her face, mimicked zipping her lips closed, locking them, and throwing away the key. She beamed at him before turning to follow her classmate back to class. All Might couldn't help but smile.

What was he so worried about? Halyn was honestly a good kid. She would never turn out bad, right?

Right?

END

Kyandi: I have to say, I really do love your quirk.

Halyn: Despite it being similar to All For One's?

Kyandi: Well, I did a lot of research on possible quirk abilities, but this one was what gave me the most plot ideas.

Halyn: Which is why you went with it?

Kyandi: Yep. Can't right a story without some idea of where you want it to go.

Halyn: Very true.

Kyandi: Anyway, I have another chapter to do, so everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be right back.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	11. Adapting Hero: Fallout

Kyandi: And as Ida-ed it right back.

Halyn: That's a bad joke.

Kyandi: I know. My sister told me so.

Halyn: I don't think that was exactly what she said.

Kyandi: I know it's not.

Halyn: And what did she say to you when you told her that joke?

Kyandi:..."Fuck you".

Halyn: Wow...that wasn't nice.

Kyandi: I know...I'm so proud of her.

Halyn: You're household is strange.

Kyandi: Yeah, well, to us it's normal. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 11 Adapting Hero: Fallout

"In light of the festival you'll have tomorrow and the next day off."

After returning to the class, Aizawa informed them of their time off. Some of the students were glad for that, but others were still bummed or fuming over the outcome of the festival.

"Scouting reports and such from the pros will be waiting for you here after the break. So look forward to that as you enjoy your time off." Aizawa said, before dismissing them.

Halyn, with only one working hand to her name, begun to gather her things. She was preforming a balancing act with her bag, trying to get books inside, when one slipped out of her hand. She reacted to catch it, but someone else did before she could.

"Let me help."

Halyn raised her head, her eyes meeting Todoroki's as he reached out to take her bag from her, sliding the book inside. He instantly picked up the rest of her books and tucked them neatly into the bag.

"You don't have to do that." Halyn told him.

"Yeah, I do."

When the books were all in the bag, he closed it and picked it up, turning to head for the classroom door.

"What are you doing?" Halyn asked.

"Walking you home." was all he said before he started for the classroom door, leaving her to follow.

Halyn blinked in surprise, her tail flicking once in confusion before she hurried after him. So many questions ran through her head as she followed him into the hall.

"You're kind of pushy, you know that?" she asked, catching up with him. Todoroki didn't respond to that, making her frown for a second. "Is this because of what your father said to me?"

Now he stopped. He turned to face her so abruptly that she almost walked right into him. She barely managed to escape the collision. When she looked up at his face, his expression was guarded and she knew, in that instant, that she had said something wrong.

"What did he say to you?" he demanded.

Halyn took that to mean that Endeavor had mentioned nothing of his conversation with her, to his son.

Whoops.

"It's nothing. Just forget about it. It'll only make you mad." she told him, hurrying past him.

"Halyn." Halyn stopped, turning to look at Todoroki when he called her name, her eyes wide. His brow furrowed when he saw the shocked look on her face. "What?"

"You took to calling me by my given name, awfully quick. I actually expected it to take you a while. Kind of like Midoriya." she told him.

"You're changing the subject." he told her.

"I know. Because I really don't think you want to hear this. Your relationship is bad enough with him." Halyn told him.

As she talked, he approached her until she had backed up to the wall. He stood in front of her, face stern. He wanted to know what his father had said to her and he wasn't taking a no for an answer. That much Halyn could tell.

"What did he say?"

Halyn heaved a sigh, her tail hanging. She really hated to upset him when he seemed to be in a good mood, especially if it was about this father, but he was going to find out sooner or later. She didn't put it past Endeavor to eventually throw it in his son's face.

"Basically? Um...He wants me to enter a quirk marriage with you..."

Halyn tensed expecting some kind of angry reaction out of him, but Todoroki just stared at her for a moment. Halyn wondered if he was frozen from shock and leaned forward to wave a hand in his face. He simply blinked before focusing on her once more.

"What did you tell him?" he asked.

"That it's your life, your choice and then I left. Simple as that." she told him. "I don't think he was too happy."

Knowing his father, he probably wasn't. Endeavor wasn't use to not getting his way. He would probably look to go over Halyn's head and repeat what he had done to force his wife into marriage with him. Which meant that Endeavor would seek to pressure Halyn's brothers into handing over their sister.

"You should warn your brothers." he told her.

"You don't have to worry about that. We don't work that way in Italy. Whoever I eventually marry, is my choice and my choice alone. My brother would never sell me out anyway." Halyn assured him.

Whatever she said, Todoroki still seemed concerned, or, at least, was dwelling on it. The whole trip back to her apartment he was quiet. When her apartment building came into view, Halyn suddenly changed directions, heading for the building next door.

"This way." she called to him.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"This is a club that my brothers also own. I have a few people here who are waiting for me to get home. They wanted to see me after the Sports Festival and I promised." Halyn told him, as she pulled open the door.

A low, faintly rock beat, reached his ears instantly. Since it was still early evening, the club was next to empty, the lights on full glow instead of dimmed, and the dance floor empty. A stage was set up on the far end of the large room, the dance floor stretched out before it. A space filled with tables were pretty empty, with only a few people setting tables for that's night crowd. A bar opened up to the right, where two bartenders, both somewhere in their late twenties or early thirties, were cleaning glasses.

One of those bartenders looked up when they stepped in and his face lit up.

"Miss Neko!" he called.

Instantly, all workers stopped what they were doing turned to Halyn. A few even came through a door behind the bar that probably lead to the kitchen. Todoroki had to take a step back when they all swarmed Halyn, congratulating her for her place in the Sport Festival, and chattering away about their favorite parts. They all cheerfully called her Miss Neko as they chatted.

"Hey," one waitress turned when she caught sight of Todoroki. "You're the boy she fought in her final round."

Todoroki was sure he was about to get an ear full for roughing Halyn up, but he suddenly found his hand being shook by one of the cooks.

"That was an incredible display, son! We knew our little Miss Neko had fight in her, but we've never seen anyone challenge her like you did!" the man told him, some of the others crowding around him to congratulate him too.

"Miss Neko?"

It was the only thing Todoroki could think to say.

"Apparently, it's their pet name for me. They can't just call me, Halyn, like everyone else." Halyn told him.

"You know you love it." the male bartender said, patting her head.

"It's just a shame that you don't have the ears like your brothers." the female bartender added, looking at Halyn with a sad expression.

"I'm happy enough with the tail." Halyn told her. "Anyway, I just wanted to stop by like I promised."

"Stay, Miss Neko! We're about to open up." one cook called.

"I better not. With these injuries, it would be best to just get up to my room." Halyn told them.

Though they complained, showing just how much they liked Halyn, Halyn refused. She finally was able to bid them all farewell and led Todoroki back to the door, waving to her friends. When they stepped back outside, there was a large smile on her face.

"They like you." Todoroki remarked.

"And I like them. My brothers thought that a good, stable source of income here in Japan would be a good idea. Just in case they get too caught up to remember to wire money to me." Halyn explained. "So they bought the club and set it up where what money would of gone to them, goes into my account. The club does well, so..."

Halyn shrugged one shoulder as they entered the apartment building. She would never be as rich as Todoroki's family, but she got along fine enough. Todoroki glanced at her as she greeted the old guard behind the desk before she turned to him.

"I can take my bag now...unless you want to stay for dinner? I can still cook, even like this." Halyn offered, smiling brightly.

"Sorry, but I can't. My sister's waiting." he told her.

"Well, another time then." Halyn said, taking her bag from him. "Be careful on your way home, Shoto."

It was still new to him, hearing her call him like that, but he was starting to realize...it wasn't so bad.

"Yeah."

Halyn stood at the door of her building, waving to him as he headed off down the street, a bright smile on her face. Todoroki turned back when he was a good way down the street, but she was still there, watching him leave. She waved one last time before he lost sight of the building.

Leander Halyn...so that was who his father had chosen for him. While angry at his father in general, he couldn't really begin to think of any real reasons why he should protest against Halyn as a choice. He liked her, so it wasn't like he could claim he hated her. In the end, all he could do was agree with her on the fact that it should be his choice. For now though, it was best to just not say anything.

After all, it wasn't like Halyn's brothers would agree.

-0-0-0-0-

Over the next two days, Halyn rested up, reporting to Recovery Girl twice over those days for more healing sessions. By the time she got up for school after those two days off, she had only a few faint bruises on her body and stiff muscles.

It was raining that morning, giving off a gloomy feeling, but Halyn smiled anyway, giving her usual morning greetings to the staff of her apartment building on her way out. Umbrella in hand, she headed for school. It was when she was heading for the school gate that she ran into Midoriya.

"Deku!"

Midoriya turned when she called him. After the talk between them and All Might when Halyn had insisted that he call her by her given name, she had decided to take a page from Uraraka's book and started calling him, Deku.

"Oh, Morning, Ha-chan." Midoriya greeted her. "You look better."

"Yeah, Recovery Girl really fixed me up." Halyn said, flexing her left hand. "And you?"

"Feeling better." he told her, getting a smile in return.

"This is no time for an idle stroll!" The two turned to find Ida, in full rain grab, running towards them. "We'll be late! Good morning, Midoriya, Leander!"

Halyn and Midoriya shared a look before falling into step behind Ida.

"Late? But we've got five minutes before the first bell." Midoriya said.

"The students of UA make it a point to arrive ten minutes early!" Ida replied.

The three made it into the school, Midoriya and Halyn shaking out their umbrellas. Halyn gave hers one last good shake before turning to Ida.

"Ida...I heard about your brother. How is he?" she asked.

"You needn't worry about my brother." Ida said, shedding his raincoat. "I apologize if he or I caused you undue concern."

Despite the smile on his face, Halyn had a sneaky feeling that things were worse than he was willing to let on. But it wasn't like she could call him on it. She knew she wouldn't want someone else bugging her if she was already concerned enough about her brother. So they headed to class without her say anything.

In class, their classmates were talking about people recognizing them on the streets. Halyn headed for her desk, stopping to greet Todoroki with a bright smile.

"Hey, Ha-chan," Halyn looked up when Uraraka called out to her. "Did you get to talk to your brothers?"

"Uh, yeah, I did." Halyn answered, setting her bag on her desk.

"And?" Uraraka asked.

Sheepishly, Halyn rubbed back the back of her head.

"Just as I thought, they ripped me a new one." Halyn replied, smiling.

"What? What for?" Mina asked.

"Well, on top of how far I pushed myself in the festival, they had also just found out about the incident at the USJ. They weren't happy with me. The twins, Cyprian and Felix, actually came to visit me over our break. I thought they would never stop scolding me. They were still scolding me when they left for the airport this morning. I'm sure I'll get a call from the other two any day now." Halyn admitted.

"You didn't tell them about what happened at the USJ!?"

Several of her classmates said this at once. Halyn shrugged her shoulders.

"What's the use in making them worry unnecessarily when they can't do anything about it. They're in a completely different country. It would take half a day just to get here. Why worry them like that, you know?" Halyn replied, taking her seat.

The bell rung after that, the students rushing to their seats before Aizawa walked into the room, greeting them.

"Good to see your bandages off, Aizawa-sensei." Asui called out.

"The old lady's treatment was excessive. But never mind that. Today we've got **Hero Informatics** class. And a special one at that." Aizawa told them.

Some of the students tensed up, wondering what on earth it could be.

"You'll be coming up with your hero aliases." Aizawa informed them, a cheer going up in the classroom. "But first...concerning the pro draft picks I mentioned the other day. It's based on who the pros think will be ready to join the hero workforce after another two or three years of experience. So you could say that it's a way for them to show interest in your futures. But there's ample time for their interest to wane before you graduate. And any and all offers can be arbitrarily revoked. It happens quite often."

"So if we're picked now, that just means there'll be higher hurdles in the years to come!" Toru said.

"Yes. Now, here're the complete draft pick numbers." Aizawa displayed the numbers on the board behind him. "There's typically more of a spread. But three of our top four stole most of the spotlight."

Halyn blinked in surprise. At the top of the list was Todoroki with four thousand, one hundred and twenty-three. That wasn't surprising and neither was Bakugo being in second with three thousand, four hundred and fifty-six. What was surprising was that Halyn occupied the third spot with three thousand and seventy-two offers. She had expected for there to be some people who wanted to recruit her, but nowhere near that many.

"Well done as always, Todoroki. You too, Halyn." Yaoyorozu told them.

"It's mostly just my father's influence." Todoroki replied.

"I have no idea what's up with my numbers." Halyn replied.

"What are you talking about? You're badass, Leander." Kaminari assured her.

"I'll admit to some skill and experience, but not enough to warrant **this** kind of response." Halyn replied.

The number was ridiculous. While she pondered this massive number, others in the class were just happy to get a few. Midoriya, sadly, was among those that didn't get any offers.

"With that settled...whether you were picked or not, you will all have a chance to work alongside the pros." Aizawa announced. "It's true that you all have already experienced more than most, but seeing the pros in action and taking part yourselves will still be worthwhile training."

"That's where our hero names come in!" Sato exclaimed.

"This is really getting fun!" Uraraka cheered.

"They're only tentative, but you still want to pick something appropriate..."

"Or else you'll know true hell!"

A second voice joined the conversation as the door to their classroom was thrown open. Standing in the doorway, was Midnight.

"The name you pick now may be what the world ends up calling you. That's happened to plenty of pros out there." Midnight told them.

"Yes. True enough and Midnight here will be assessing the sensibility of the names you pick. I'm no good at that. What future do you see for yourself? The name you choose will bring you ever closer to cementing a certain image because names are capable of reflecting one's true character. Like with "All Might"." Aizawa told them, before letting Midnight take over while he took a nap.

Boards and markers were passed out for them to write their hero name ideas on. Halyn took hers and stared at it for a moment. A name that true reflected her, her hopes, dreams, and ambitions, huh.

Fifteen minutes later, Midnight called for them to start finishing up.

"We can start with whoever's ready!" she called, telling them that they would be presenting their names to the class.

Aoyama was the first one up to the front of the room, his board reading "I Cannot Stop Twinkling". The only changes that Midnight made to it was to take out the "I" and contract the "Cannot" to "Can't", making Aoyama's hero name Can't Stop Twinkling.

Strange, but fitting for him.

Mina went next with the name Alien Queen, which Midnight shot down completely. Asui was up next with the name Froppy. Midnight approved and the class, with a bit of confidence, really got into the swing.

Kirishima was next with his name being Red Riot in homage to his favorite hero, Crimson Riot. After that, it was a string of well thought names that got Midnight's approval right away. Jiro with Earphone Jack, Mezo with Tentacole, Sero with Cellophane, Ojiro with Tailman, Sato with Sugarman, Mina with Pinky, Kaminari with Chargebolt, and Toru with Invisible Girl.

"You're all doing great. Let's keep 'em going!" Midnight told them.

Halyn scooted her chair back, getting to her feet to approach the front of the class. She gave her class a smile before looking down at her board.

"I think this will say everything about me that it needs to." she said before displaying the board. "I'll be the Adapting Hero: Fallout."

"Oh, I see. This is suppose to relate back to what you said during the festival." Midnight said, staring at the board.

"Right. I want to act as a buffer between people and the effects of the fallout zone between heroes and villains. And, of course, assimilation is about adapting to whatever is in my way and what I have to use." Halyn said.

"I love it! It fits you perfectly." Midnight said, giving her approval.

Halyn's tail curled as she smiled back at the woman. She returned to her seat, Yaoyorozu going next with the name, Creati. Todoroki followed with just using his given name as his hero name. It was strange, but Midnight gave him a go. Tokoyami followed with Tsukuyomi, Mineta with Grape Juice, Koji with Anima and then Bakugo with King Explosion Murder.

The last of which was shot down right away.

Uraraka followed with a name that combined her name with the word "gravity" making Uravity. Halyn really liked that one. That left only Midoriya, Ida, and Bakugo. In the end, Ida went with his given name and Midoriya chose Deku as his hero name.

Bakugo tried once more before class was over, but Midnight shot it down too.

After they had picked their names, those who had been drafted by pros, were given a list of the pros so that they could then pick which one they wanted. Everyone else was given a list of forty pros willing to take on interns for the week. Halyn took her list and started looking through them. One agency, on the very first page, stood out to her. She blinked in surprise, shocked that this hero had put in an offer for her. Siting forward in her seat, she opened her mouth to ask Todoroki his opinion on it, when she saw that he, too, had stopped on the first page of his list, his eyes captured by one agency's name: Endeavor Hero Agency.

She could tell what he was thinking without seeing his face. Despite all the issues he had with his father, Endeavor still was the number two hero and Todoroki could learn a lot from interning with him. She was pretty sure that's who he would pick for it was the first pick he listed on his form. Sitting back in her seat, Halyn thought for a moment, her eyes going back to her list. A few names stood out, and she listed them, but she was pretty sure she would get her first pick.

Now it was just waiting the week until the internships started.

-0-0-0-0-

A week later, with their hero costumes in tow, the whole class met up at the train station where they would all part ways for the week.

"You've got your costumes, right?" Aizawa asked the class. "Wearing them in public is strictly prohibited, but don't drop them."

"Yeahhh!" Mina cheered.

"And don't slur your "yeah" Ashido. All of you, be on your best behavior! Now go." Aizawa told them.

Everyone begun to split up to catch their different trains. Halyn, herself, was going to an agency that was closer to home. Others would be a little further from home since the offers had come from all over the country. Halyn was just picking up her costume case when she heard Midoriya call out to Ida and looked up.

"If it ever gets to be too much and you need to talk, just say something." Midoriya told his friend, Uraraka nodding in agreement. "We're your friends."

Halyn caught the look on Ida's face before he gave the two a smile and said "Sure.". She knew something was up and that it had to be related to his brother. He was far more upset than he was willing to let on, which she could completely understand given the situation. She would have been too if a villain had managed to get the best of one of her brothers, landing them in the hospital.

But there was no hiding that look on his face from her. She had seen looks like that way too many times to not know, but Ida simply turned and walked away. Halyn heaved an inward sigh before turning to Todoroki with a smile on her face.

"You're heading for your father's agency, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. And you?" he asked.

Halyn's smile grew into to grin, her tail curling in a mischievous way that betrayed her playfulness. Dancing back a few steps, her costume case held behind her back, she raised a single finger to her lips, giving him another grin.

"It's a secret. I'll see you later, Shoto." she told him, giving him a wink before she spun on her heels and took off, her tail swaying behind her.

Todoroki didn't get it. Why all the secrecy on where she was going? It was probably so she could show him how much stronger she had gotten by the time she got back. Whatever it was, he had to get a move on. His father wouldn't appreciate him being late. When he arrived at his father's office, he was instantly shown in.

"I've been waiting for you, Shoto." Endeavor said when his son stood before him in the wide, luxurious office. "You're finally ready to walk down the path of the mighty."

"I have no intention of following any path you've created. Only I can decide my future." Todoroki replied.

"Heh, is that so?" Endeavor asked.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Endeavor called for the person to enter. One of his sidekicks stuck his head into the office.

"Sir, the other intern is here." he asked.

"Other intern?" Todoroki asked, turning to look at the door as Endeavor told the man to show the intern in.

"You weren't the only student I put an offer in for." Endeavor told his son.

Seeing the grin on his father's face was all it took for realization to hit him. Endeavor didn't. Todoroki whipped around when the door opened and the other intern that would be sharing his father for the week, stepped into the room.

Oh, gods, he did.

"Leander Halyn reporting. It's a pleasure to work with you this week, Endeavor, sir."

Standing before him, her costume case in one hand and a smile on her face as she bowed in greeting, was Halyn. When she stood up straight, she shot him a smile.

"Finally, you're here. Good. Both of you go get ready. We're going out." Endeavor told them.

Todoroki turned to look at his father in surprise.

"Where to?" he asked, though there were several other questions in his head.

"It's time I show you what it means to be a hero."

With that, Endeavor dismissed them. A sidekick came to collect Todoroki and Halyn, to escort them to the locker rooms. Once the office door was closed behind them, where his father couldn't hear him, Todoroki turned to Halyn, giving her a look.

"What? I told you I'd see you later, didn't I?" she said playfully.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Interning, just like you, Shoto." she replied.

"You know what I mean."

Halyn heaved a sigh, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. Idly, she reached up to run a hand through her bangs, pushing them back from her face.

"You really want to know? Fine. I saw that you got an offer from your father and that you decided to go with him. I also got an offer from him. I knew you have a hard time getting along with him and I figured the week would be a little difficult for you, so, since I'm your friend and I support my friends, I decided to accept his offer. At least now you'll have some support of your own." she told him, smiling brightly up at him.

Todoroki was stunned into silence. Just to be there for him, to support him against his father, she had chosen to spend her week at the mercy of his father. And after Endeavor had already made it clear what his intentions for Halyn were. Still, she had come and she had done it for him.

At this point, they had reached the women's locker room. Halyn walked up to the door, stopping long enough to turn and offer Todoroki a soft smile.

"Don't worry about it, Shoto. It'll be fine." she assured him before she vanished into the locker room.

Would it, though?

Todoroki had a feeling that this week was about to become a very trying one.

END

Kyandi: Hehe!

Halyn: I get the feeling that there's about to be a lot of Todoroki/Me moments.

Kyandi: Yep! If anyone wants to come up with a ship name for them, feel free!

Halyn: Wait, is this where-

Kyandi: Shush! They'll see.

Halyn: Oh, right. Sorry.

Kyandi: Anyway, I have a moment coming up that I've been dying to get to, so we'll wrap up here.

Halyn: Oh, gods...

Kyandi: Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	12. Embarrassment

Kyandi: Greetings, my lovelies. I have returned.

Halyn: This chapter is embarrassing.

Kyandi: Well, aren't you straight forward with your opinion.

Halyn: Wouldn't you be embarrassed?

Kyandi: ...Actually, yes, I would. I'd be mortified.

Halyn: Exactly.

Kyandi: But hey, at least the embarrassment is shared.

Halyn: That's of little comfort.

Kyandi: I know, but I tried. Anyway, everyone enjoy the embarrassment and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 12 Embarrassment

That night, after they got back from patrols, Endeavor said the two could leave once they had changed. By the time Todoroki had changed and finished dealing with his father, Halyn had already left for the day. While Todoroki had wanted to speak with her about her choice for an internship, he suppose it was alright. He would see her the next day, anyway. Leaving his father to do whatever work he had to, Todoroki went home himself.

His sister, Fuyumi, was waiting when he got home. She met him at the door and stood there while he took off his shoes.

"So how was it?" she asked, referring to his internship.

"It was alright." he replied simply.

The short monotone reply did nothing to tell Fuyumi how her little brother actually felt. Especially when he wasn't looking at her, but at his shoes. It kind of made her wonder if it really had been alright or if he was just saying so. She knew that he didn't get along with their father and that their father really had a way of working his way under Todoroki's skin.

If it hadn't been for Halyn there at his side, soothing his temper whenever his father came close to sparking it, Todoroki doubted it would have been alright. Halyn was very good at taking his attention off his father, while still keeping them on task. Despite her helpful presence, though, it had been a long day and all he wanted to do was take a nice, long bath before dinner.

"I'm going to take a bath." he told his sister before heading for the corner of the house that was usually empty save for him.

Fuyumi stepped aside, letting him head past her. She watched as he vanished down the hall. While it was easier to talk to him now, since he had started visiting their mother, she still found it rather difficult to hold a conversation with him.

But that wasn't the foremost thought in her mind.

"Maybe I should have warned him..." Fuyumi mused. She thought about it for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders. How bad could it turn out? "It should be alright."

Across the house, Todoroki had just picked up everything he would need for a bath from his room. He was heading just down the hall to the large, indoor bath that was suppose to be shared by everyone in that wing of the house, which, at the moment, was only him. After dealing with his dad all day, he needed a relaxing bath. A nice, long one.

Thinking that, his mind went back to Halyn. All day, when he had come close to getting angry with his father, she had been right there to lay a calming hand on his shoulder or to softly call his name, soothing his anger in a way no one else had ever been able to do. And then he would look at her and she would give him the brightest smile she possessed, completely taking his mind off whatever his father had just said or done to anger him in the first place.

He definitely owed her one and was sure that would be more so true by the end of the week.

It was with this thought in mind that he slid open the door to the bathroom and came to a screeching halt, dropping everything in his hands.

Standing there, in the middle of the changing room just outside the actual bathroom, naked as the day she was born and dripping wet, was the very girl he had just been thinking about.

Just as he had frozen on the spot, so had she. She stood there, towel pressed to the front of her body, wet hair clinging to every curve, and fair skin left for him to see in all it's glory, staring wide eyed back at him. Without thinking, his eyes scanned her from head to toe, his mind having just enough time to take in the fact that there were scars on her thighs and a birthmark on her left hip, before it finally clicked for the both of them that they were just standing there with her naked.

Right before his eyes, her tail frizzled out, going straight as a board and, almost instantly, Halyn's lips parted, letting out a noise that was a mix of a surprised shriek and a yowl. She instantly dropped into a crouch, trying to cover more of herself. The noise she released was loud and sharp and jolted him out of his shock. Todoroki quickly backtracked, tripping over his dropped personal items. He hit the floor, but he managed to slam the door closed, turning to press his back against it.

Todoroki could feel heat rising in his cheeks as his heart thundered inside his chest. Had he really just seen what he thought he saw? Surely **she** wasn't there, in his house, in **his** bathroom, **naked**. Surely, his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Hurried footsteps approaching him had him looking to find Fuyumi rushing towards him, a concerned look on her face. She took one look at the scene before her, her brother on the floor, his cheeks turning red, and his things scattered on the floor.

"Did I hear a scream? What happened?" she asked.

Her eyes took in the scene once more, going between her brother and the bathroom door before it clicked in her head. Her lips formed an "o" as a hand raised to cover it.

"Leander-chan is still in the bathroom, isn't she?" she asked.

Her words clicked in his head and he whipped around to look at his sister.

"You knew she was here?!" he demanded.

"Yeah. Dad insisted she stay here until her internship with him is done. You know, in case he's called out during the middle of the night. She's staying in the spare room across the hall from you. I told Dad he should put her in another end of the house, that there was a room near mine open, but he didn't listen." Fuyumi replied.

Todoroki really wasn't all that surprised. Since the Sports Festival, when Halyn showed the country just what she was capable of, Endeavor had had an eye on her. Halyn had told Todoroki, earlier that week, that her brothers had told her that Endeavor had contacted her oldest brother with a proposal to arrange her marriage to Todoroki after they finished high school. Her brother, she said, had shot Endeavor down just as soon as the word "marriage" left his mouth. So this was probably some plan of his father's to arrange for them to end up getting together on their own.

It kind of annoyed Todoroki. He had a lot of respect for Halyn after all she had done for him and he knew she was an irreplaceable friend. As such, he refused to let his father ruin that friendship. If something happened, later on, and the two decided to try for anything else, Todoroki wanted it to be their choice and their's alone.

Not because of some scheme of his father's making.

Not that that would happen, of course.

"Shoto?"

Todoroki snapped out of his thoughts when Halyn's voice sounded through the bathroom door, as if she was sitting just on the other side.

"Yeah?" he called back.

"...How much did you see?" Halyn asked.

Todoroki knew he had to be honest. She would kill him if he lied and she found out. So he sucked it up and answered honestly, his sister pressing a hand to her face in disbelief. It was obvious that her brother had no experience with girls and that was her silent way of calling her brother an idiot.

"Not much. Your towel and hair blocked most of it. I did see the birthmark on your left hip. It looks like-"

"A flame, yeah, I know." Halyn said, cutting him off.

She fell silent once more and Todoroki had a brief moment of feeling like he had just made it worse. But he really just wanted to be honest with her.

"Sorry. I didn't know you were here." he told her.

It was silent on the other side of the door for a moment and he wondered if she was angry at him. Then he heard a sigh before she spoke again.

"Don't worry about it. If the birthmark is the most you saw, then I'll count it as being lucky. Let's just forget it happened." Halyn called back. "If you'll give me a few minutes, you can have the bathroom."

Todoroki was in no hurry to rush her. He heard her moving about the bathroom in a brisk pace, more than likely getting dressed and collecting her things as fast as she could. While she did that, he collected all that he had dropped. Fuyumi watched him, her hands on her hips.

"Shoto...what happened?" Fuyumi asked lowly.

Todoroki chose not to answer. Not that he needed to. Fuyumi was a teacher, she was a smart woman. He was sure she could figure it out. He had just picked up the last of his clothes when the bathroom door opened. Halyn, fully dressed now, stepped out with a bag of toiletries in her arms.

"Excuse me." she said before hurrying away quickly.

Fuyumi and Todoroki watched as Halyn vanished down the hall, her tail, still puffed up to twice it's normal size, the last they saw as she opened the door to the room she was staying in, disappearing inside. Todoroki swore, right before she vanished inside, that he could see the tips of her ears turning red.

"After that awkward moment during your fight with her at the Sports Festival and now this...that girl is so aware of you, it's not funny." Fuyumi said with a sigh.

He didn't need his sister to tell him that, and he was sure that that was what his father was counting on. But Todoroki could handle that later after he had a nice, long talk with Halyn about the whole thing. Leaving those thoughts for later, he went and bathed. When he was done, Fuyumi found him to let him know that dinner was done.

Halyn was already seated across the table from Endeavor when Todoroki and Fuyumi joined them. Halyn, as if nothing had happened, gave Todoroki a brilliant smile in greeting when he claimed the seat next to her. Endeavor, who had already heard of what had happened in the bathroom, watched the two, trying to judge how the two felt.

All through dinner, he watched, but apparently he couldn't find the reaction he had been seeking. So he just finally spoke.

"I was told there was an incident with the bathroom." he started.

"Oh, that."

All three Todoroki family members turned their eyes to Halyn when that was all she said. At their looks, Halyn just smiled.

"Not much more was seen than what is seen when I wear my hero costume. All that was seen that is usually hidden, is a birthmark on my left hip. Not exactly something so scandalous as to get worked up over." Halyn told them. "And besides, Shoto was a gentleman and got out as fast as he could. So, all is well that ends well. Right, Shoto?"

With the happy swaying of her tail, they were forced to take her words at face value and Todoroki gave a low "Right." in response. Dropping the subject with a frown on his face, Endeavor finished his meal and retreated to his own personal room. Halyn offered to help Fuyumi with clean up, but the woman turned her down.

"It was your first day of an internship and with my father no less. Go rest." Fuyumi told her kindly.

"Alright, but I'm helping tomorrow. It's impolite to be a guest in someone's home for an extended time and not help clean, at least. And I can cook, too, if that would help." Halyn replied.

Fuyumi smiled at her and agreed. Halyn gave her a polite bow and turned to head back to her room. Fuyumi leaned towards her brother when Halyn vanished out into the hall.

"I like her. She's a keeper." Fuyumi told him. "Especially since she can remain cool in front of Dad."

Todoroki was starting to think that his whole family was out to set him up with Halyn. Instead of replying to her remark, he followed Halyn back to their rooms. It was awkward, at least for him. The two walked in silence, Halyn glancing out of the side of her eyes. It wasn't until they reached their rooms, directly across from each other, that she spoke.

"Shoto," Todoroki turned to look at her. "It's awkward, isn't it?"

"Yes." he admitted, his mind recalling a mental image of Halyn with only a towel pressed to her front.

"I figured, but I meant what I said. It's not a big deal, Shoto. After all, you said you didn't see anything. Can we please act like it didn't happen and forget about it? We can even schedule our bath times and, at the end of the week, I'll be heading home." Halyn suggested. "How about one of us bathes before dinner and the other after?"

Todoroki took that deal. They decided, after that, that he would bathe before dinner and she would use the bath after dinner. Once that was decided, Halyn gave him a smile and wished him good night. Todoroki watched her vanish into her room. No matter what they promised, he was sure of one thing.

He was not going to be able to forget the image for as long as she dwelt in his house.

-0-0-0-0-

The next morning, Todoroki awoke at his usual time, getting dressed before heading to breakfast. He ran into Halyn as she was leaving the bathroom. Apparently she had taken advantage of the early morning to freshen up before heading to their internship. When she stepped out of the bathroom, she was wearing a pair of short, jogging shorts and a cropped top that bared her stomach.

He would have looked away after seeing what he saw the night before, but something else caught his eyes. He had noticed, briefly, when he had walked in on her the night before, that she had two scars across both thighs. This close up, he could tell that they were burn scars. Each was vivid and about four or five inches long. They sat low enough that, normally, her stockings hid them and she always seemed to be wearing stockings.

His eyes fell to the scars as he came to a stop. Halyn caught him staring at them and reached down to run finger tips over the ones on her right thigh.

"Gruesome, aren't they? Flame Lash had quite the temper." she told him.

"He did that to you?" Todoroki asked.

"One for each time I seriously angered him."

"Only four times in seven months?" he asked, surprised.

"Who said these were the only ones?"

It was a stark reminder that under that smiling face, lay a past of pain and suffering. Not that she would let him dwell on it. A smile curled her lips as she simply waved it off. Bending over, she rolled on her stockings, covering the scars as quickly as she could.

"We should get breakfast or we'll be late." she remarked.

Todoroki nodded. The day, after they reported to his father's office, was much as it had been the day before. They shadowed Endeavor as he went about heeding calls that came in, giving out orders to his sidekicks as he went. Todoroki found out quick that Halyn really was a people person. Whether it was his father's sidekicks, or the people they went with Endeavor to help, she always greeted them all with a gentle smile on her face and soothing tone in her voice.

It seemed she was good at soothing more than just him. Exactly as a hero, especially one charged with the rescue of people, should be. It actually had him asking her a question at their lunch break.

"What kind of hero do I want to be?"

Halyn looked up from her lunch, blinking in surprise at his question.

"You've never said." he pointed out.

"Well...that might be because I don't really have an idea." Halyn replied. Todoroki looked up from his lunch, taking in her expression as she leaned back in her seat. "I mean, I don't want to be the type of hero that just masters one thing, you know? A jack-of-all-trades, so to speak. I just want to be able to respond whenever there's danger. Doesn't matter to me if it's rescue work, stopping villains, or something else. I just want to help people. Like I said when we were picking out our hero names...I want to be the Adapting Hero. Always adapting to any situation. Simple as that."

Halyn gave a shrug of her shoulders and turned back to her food. For her, it was just simple as that. She didn't have to over think it, didn't have to worry about changing her mind. It would always be the same answer.

After lunch, they returned to the job, Halyn spending a while with Endeavor's female sidekicks as they went about doing their work. When she came back, Halyn had a thoughtful look on her face. Todoroki tried to question her, but she just stared at Endeavor, who had his back to them, her head cocking to one side as her tail twitched.

"Huh...they were right." she mused lowly.

"What are you talking about?" Todoroki asked.

Halyn's hands went to her hips as she rocked back on her heels. Her eyes were glued to Endeavor as she watched him listen to a report from one of his sidekicks.

"You know...I kind of agree with them. You're not as stacked as your father." she remarked idly.

Wide eyed, because he simply could not believe what just left Halyn's mouth, Todoroki turned on her. Halyn, smile on her face, simply shrugged her shoulders and turned to walk away, a sidekick calling out to her.

Wait... **what!?**

What the hell was that suppose to be about!?

For the rest of the day, the thought bugged him. Just what had those sidekicks been saying about his father that had Halyn looking at him like that? It wrapped around his mind, holding it, and most of his attention, captive. It had him so preoccupied with his thoughts, that it was dinner before he knew it and he had forgotten to take his bath.

As he walked towards the kitchen, where Halyn had joined Fuyumi in cooking, he decided to wait until Halyn had gone to bed to take a bath. That way, he could bathe without worrying about her needing the bathroom.

Walking into the kitchen, Todoroki paused. Standing there before him, an apron tied over her clothes, her hair pulled completely back, and humming while she dished out helpings of rice, was Halyn. He was a little surprised at how at home she looked, cooking and serving food, a smile on her face. His father was already sitting at the table, watching her out of the side of his eyes. Noticing his son, Endeavor's eyes turned to him.

"There you are, Shoto." he said.

Halyn's head turned and she greeted Todoroki with a bright smile before turning back to dishing out rice. She sat down the last bowl before turning towards him.

"Go ahead and sit, Shoto. We'll be done in just a moment." she told him before turning to join Fuyumi in finishing up the last bit of dinner.

Todoroki approached the table, watching as the two females talked lowly. Both were smiling, and laughing lowly when they came back to the table with the rest of dinner. Todoroki looked up at Halyn as she sat his food in front of him before taking a seat in the chair next to him. She looked up to see his questioning look and just smiled at him.

"Just girl talk." she assured him before turning to her own food.

Did he really want to know?

Probably not, but seeing the look the two females shared, he was curious.

Instead of asking, because he was sure neither would tell him, he turned back to his plate and started eating. Instantly, he could taste the difference in the dish. It was something his sister made quite often, but it tasted differently this time. Different, but better.

"Leander-chan helped make the food and made a few changes to the recipe." Fuyumi told them. "I think I'll keep those changes."

"Its just a few tricks I've picked up since moving here. My Italian twist on a Japanese dish." Halyn replied, smiling sheepishly. "Believe me, not all my dishes turn out so well."

If Halyn could cook this well just half the time, Todoroki would eat it anytime.

After dinner, Todoroki and his father went there separate ways, leaving Halyn and Fuyumi to clean up. Todoroki was sure his sister was loving the help. He, himself, returned to his room, leaving the door open. About two hours later, Halyn stopped by his door.

"Goodnight, Shoto." she called in to him.

"Night."

Todoroki watched as she vanished into her room. He gave her thirty minutes to get settled into bed before he went to take his bath. He made it through his bath without incident. He was sure she was sound asleep as he stood in the changing room, towel wrapped around his waist, fishing his underwear out of the basket of clothes.

He froze when the door open.

Turning stiffly, he found Halyn, drowsy, her hair mused from sleep, and wearing a pearl grey, short night gown, standing in the door way. Still looking half asleep, as if she had just woken up, she stared at him for a moment. He was very glad he had a towel around his waist, but he half wondered if she was even awake enough to notice where she was when all she did was stare at his abs and chest, then...

"Huh...I guess I was wrong."

With that, she turned and left, closing the door calmly behind her.

What. The. Hell?

Wait...was she talking about her comment earlier that day about him not being as stacked as his father? Todoroki looked down at his body. Had she really just compared him to his father and decided he was just as well muscled as him? All while still half a asleep?

Todoroki pressed a hand to his face. All he could ask himself was "what the hell?" because it made no sense to him. What, exactly, was going through her head? And then there was the fact that she hadn't outwardly registered the fact that, aside from a towel around his waist, he was naked. She had merely gave him a look over and turned around to leave. Was it because she was half asleep? Or was she really just not aware of him in that way?

So many questions and not enough answers.

He knew one thing for sure though.

Gods, girls confused him.

-0-0-0-0-

 _3:07 a.m._

The numbers flashed back at Todoroki from his alarm clock as he glanced at it.

At first, he wasn't sure what woke him. All he knew was one moment he had been asleep and the next, he lay awake in his futon. He laid there in the dark for a moment, staring at the ceiling before he heard it. It was low and soft, but he could tell what it was.

A cry.

Sitting up, Todoroki listened closely. It came again, a little louder this time. He had a pretty good idea on where the noise was coming from. Getting to his feet, Todoroki went to his door, opening it to listen to the currently silent, dimly it hallway. Again it sounded, this time from right across the hall. Todoroki looked across the hall at the door that stood closed before him.

Halyn's room.

The noise was coming from her temporary room.

Closing his door behind him, Todoroki stepped across the hall. Thankfully, she didn't lock the door. Silently, he pulled the door open and peered inside. The room beyond was pitch black, making the weak stream of light from the hall seem brighter than it was. That stream of light fell right across Halyn's futon and her sprawled out form.

Her limbs were all twisted up and tangled in her sheets, her skin was covered in a cold sweat, thin fingers twisting in the sheets. She was still asleep, but her features were twisted. Now and then, she would twitch, another cry leaving her lips.

She was having a nightmare.

And it was getting bad because her cries were coming more frequent, her twitching more violent. He needed to wake her up. Moving to her bedside, Todoroki crouched at her side, reaching out to shake her shoulder. His fingers barely brushed her shoulder before she jolted upward, frantic and eyes wide. To avoid being hit by her, a surprised Todoroki caught her in his arms, holding her shaking form.

He could feel the pounding of her heart in her chest, her heart was racing so fast. Her fingers instantly twisted into his pajama top, raspy breathes leaving her parted lips, her tail sticking straight out behind her and bushed out to twice it's normal size. It took her a moment to realize where she was and who it was that was holding her.

"Shoto?" she asked lowly.

"I heard you crying out." he explained, still holding her.

Her body sagged against him, her tail falling limply to the floor as all fight washed away in the wake of relief. She didn't release his shirt, though, as she pressed her face into his shoulder.

"Just memories, **always** memories." she admitted lowly.

"Flame Lash?" he asked, taking a guess.

He felt her give a single nod in answer. Then she took a deep breath and released it shakily. Slowly, he could feel the pounding of her heart slow down until he couldn't feel her heartbeat anymore, telling him that her heartbeat was back to normal levels.

"Sometimes, just now and then, I have these nightmares and I wake up still believing, for just a moment, that I am still there, trapped and afraid. The memories, the dreams, are so **vivid**. It's only when I'm asleep that they affect me so fiercely. When I'm awake, I know it's just memories and that they can't hurt me, but asleep..." Halyn heaved a sigh as she trailed off.

Whether it was consciously done or not, he didn't know, but she curled closer to him, relishing in the comfort of his presence. As if she completely trusted him in her vulnerable state to protect her. And she probably did. He was starting to realize that, for some reason, she trusted him more than others. Why him, he couldn't guess.

"Shoto."

"Yeah?"

Todoroki felt a ragged breath leave her, bellowing across the skin of his collar bones. She took another deep breath, as if preparing herself for something.

"Will you stay until I fall back to sleep?" she asked. "Please?"

He didn't know what possessed him to answer the way he did, because it could be used against him later on, he knew, but she was his friend. She had supported him, continued to do so even when he didn't ask. The least he could do was offer the same and give her the tiny bit of comfort she was asking for.

"Sure."

END

Kyandi: Aww, so cute!

Halyn: Embarrassing.

Kyandi: Yes, it is, but at least you were mostly covered.

Halyn: Very little comfort.

Kyandi: I know. I'm sorry. But, a plot is a plot.

Halyn: And a joke is a joke, apparently.

Kyandi: It wasn't a joke, just a way to move plot along. I can't help that it just happen to be funny, as well.

Halyn: Obviously.

Kyandi: Anyway, everyone enjoy and review!

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	13. The Hero Killer

Kyandi: Hey, everyone! I'm back.

Halyn: And with just three more days until she goes to AnimeFest.

Kyandi: I'm so excited and jittery. I've been bouncing all over the house for the last three days.

Halyn: Her sisters are about ready to throw things at her.

Kyandi: Hehehe...I just throw it back.

Halyn: No, she doesn't. She waits until they fall asleep and-

Kyandi: I think it's time to move on. Just everyone know...my sisters deserve what they get.

Halyn: Do they? Do they really?

Kyandi: Yes? Anyway, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 13 The Hero Killer

An unfamiliar alarm sounding was what woke Todoroki the next morning. Reaching out for the noise, his fingers found a phone. Picking it up, he opened one eye to peer at the unfamiliar device. Hitting the "dismiss" button that had appeared on the screen, he sat it down before getting his bearings straight.

He figured out where he was, instantly, when something groaned sleepily and snuggled closer to him.

Peering down, he found Halyn, still asleep, snuggled into his side. she was half resting on his chest, sheets tangled about them, and one of her legs was hooked over his. She seemed to be comfortable, her hair spilling about them in a puffed out mess.

He must have fallen asleep while waiting for her to fall asleep.

For a moment though, he found himself captivated by the sight of Halyn's sleeping face, her loose hair curling about her. Just as she was a beauty awake, she was just as much so, asleep. He would have moved out from under her without waking her, but in the next moment, her tail twitched and her eyes opened. She stared straight ahead for a breath before she yawned, her tail curling, and focused her attention on him.

"Hmm...mornin' Shoto..."

It took her still sleep bogged brain a moment to realize what she had said. Then her eyes widened and she bolted up off his chest and into a sitting position. He was amused as she even threw her hands up in the air.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to use you like a body pillow." she told him.

After the last two days, her using him as a pillow was nothing.

"It's fine." Todoroki replied, sitting up. "I must of fell asleep as well."

"Sorry." she apologized again. "I'm suppose to be here to help you and, yet, you ended up looking after me."

"It's fine, really. You should use the bathroom first." he suggested.

Halyn, realizing she was in front of him in her far too intimate night gown, rushed to do as he had suggested. Grabbing her bag, she was out the door quickly. Todoroki watched her go before he returned to his room to get ready for the day, as well.

What was he suppose to think and feel at this moment? He had just spent most of the night in the same bed as her after both of them had seen each other semi-naked. It was starting to look like it was unavoidable. They would have to have a talk on the way to his father's office that morning.

Once they had both gotten ready, had their breakfast, and were on their way, he did just that.

"We need to talk." he told her, as the two made their way for the train station.

"Those words never mean anything good." Halyn remarked. "Strange, though...a girl usually only hears it from her parents or her boyfriend."

If that was her way of saying their relationship was different, then he completely agreed.

"We need to talk about last night. Once is an accident, but now we've both walked in on the other." he said, instead of replying to her comment.

"Wait," Halyn turned to him, her eyes wide. "That actually happened? I thought it was just part of some weird dream."

Todoroki came to a stop. So she **had** been too asleep to realize what was going on. He stared at her in disbelief. Halyn came to a stop a few feet in front of him, turning to look at him. She gave him a sheepish smile, scratching at one cheek as she did.

"Hehe...sorry, Shoto. Forgive and forget?"

Todoroki heaved a sigh, dropping his face into his hand. Halyn was turning out to be a little air headed.

"Or do I need to remind you that **you** walked in on **me** first?"

Correction, not so air headed.

Todoroki really had to constantly remind himself that, despite the way she sometimes acted and came off to others, Halyn was far from being air headed in any way. Just as he was reminded yesterday that behind that bright smile of hers, lurked a horrible past, he was also reminded that behind that same smile, lurked a sharp mind that was always calculating and thinking.

"Anything else you wanted to discuss, Shoto?" she asked, smiling at him.

Anything else he wanted to discuss?

Yes.

Anything else he was actually willing to bring up?

Hell, no.

"No." he replied.

"Good. Then let's get a move on or we will be late. I don't think you want to start the day off with listening to a lecture from your father." she said.

Definitely not. He disliked the idea of listening to his father's rants about as much as he disliked displeasing Halyn.

Almost.

All in all, he still found the idea of displeasing Halyn to be a whole lot less appealing.

Endeavor met the two when they finally arrived at his office. He looked between the two, but didn't question the two on why they had been late. He simply turned away from them.

"Go get ready. We're going out." he told them.

"Going out where, sir?" Halyn asked.

Endeavor turned to look at the two, a grin on his face. Which only had Halyn's head tilting to one side in questioning.

"To Hosu City. We're going after the Hero Killer."

-0-0-0-0-

How had he gotten himself into this situation?

Midoriya really had to stop and wonder how he kept ending up in situations like this. One moment he was on the bullet train with the hero he was interning with going from Kofu to Shinjuku, and the next thing he knew, somewhere over Hosu, a Nomu came crashing into the train, fighting with a hero. Gran Torino, the hero he was shadowing for the week, took off after the Nomu and Midoriya took off after him. Somewhere along the way, he found the hero Ida had been shadowing, realizing, quickly, that Ida had run off after the Hero Killer to get revenge for his brother.

And that was what brought him here.

"I'm here to save you, Ida!"

The scene wasn't an ideal one, by any means. The Hero Killer Stain had immobilized both Ida and a pro hero named Native. Both lay on the ground, cut and unable to move. Midoriya had arrived just in time to save Ida from a killing blow.

"Midoriya?! But why?!" Ida demanded.

"It was on TV. How sixty percent of the Hero Killer's victims were discovered around blind corners in deserted areas. So I've been scouring the back alley's near the Normal Hero Agency, close to the center of all the trouble, looking for you." Midoriya told him. "Can you move?! Make for the main road and get some pros to come help us!"

"I can't move...! He cut me...that's likely his quirk." Ida replied.

"They were talking about that. So he needs to cut you to get it to work..."

Midoriya's eyes traveled to Native, his mind flying. Had it just been Ida, he might have been able to carry him and make a run for it, but with two victims, it was so much more difficult.

"Midoriya. Don't...interfere. This has nothing to do with you!" Ida gritted out.

"What're...you saying?" Midoriya asked.

"A friend shows up and says "I'm here to save you.". A good line for sure." Midoriya turned back to Stain as he spoke. "But it's my duty to kill these two. And if we're forced to fight, then naturally, the weaker of us will be culled. So. What now?"

Midoriya felt a chill creep down his spine. Just the look in this guy's eyes...it was easy to tell that he was nothing like the villains that attacked the USJ. As All Might had once said...idealistic criminals had a different sort of fire in their eyes. Midoriya was seeing that now with Stain. It made his knees start to shake with fear. Reaching behind his back, he started fiddling with his phone, sending out a mass text to everyone in his class with only his location.

Hopefully someone was nearby and could heed the call to help.

He was sure he would need it.

Until someone could answer, he would have to protect both Ida and Native, buy some time. If nothing else, at least one of the others would send pros. Whatever happened, he couldn't leave Ida and Native there. No way, no how.

"No! I told you to run! This is none of your business!" Ida yelled at him, seeing the resolve in the way Midoriya set his shoulders.

"What's a hero suppose to do when you say crap like that? I-I've got a lot to say to you, but that'll have to come later! Because it's like All Might said, giving help that's not asked for is what makes a **true** hero." Midoriya replied.

He was scared, but he would stand his ground. He wouldn't let another person get hurt when there was something he could do. In that way, he suppose he was just like Halyn, who strove to be the hero that would stand between people and the evil that sought to hurt them. With this thought in mind, he charged into the fight, Stain, excited over seeing someone who truly grasped what a hero was, meeting him head on.

Stain pulled out a long bladed sword to counter Midoriya, who used his own quirk to close the gap quickly in order to render the blade useless. It was a good judgement call, but the long blade wasn't the only blade Stain had on him. With his other hand, he drew a shorter knife. Midoriya went right between his legs. Stain whirled around, but Midoriya launched himself into the air, avoiding the swing of the blade. From his position now above Stains's head, Midoriya landed a hard punch to the villain's head, not realizing that, in that moment, Stain managed to nick him with his knife.

One lick of the tiny bit of blood on the blade and Midoriya collapsed to the ground, his body no longer wanting to move. In that moment, Midoriya figured out just how Stain's quirk worked.

"You lack power. But you did track my movements. You exploited my blind spot...and planned to bring me down. That's how you moved. So many fools out there are nothing but talk, but you...are worth keeping alive." Stain told Midoriya as he walked past him, heading for Ida and Native. "Unlike these others."

Midoriya tried, he did. As he saw Stain level his sword at Ida's eye, ready to end the teenager's life, Midoriya tried to move, but his body just wouldn't budge.

"No! Don't!" Midoriya cried.

Ida grit his teeth, his eye tracking the blade as it got closer. Just seconds shy of him losing his life, one of the last people he expected to see, showed up.

Stain was forced to retreat back away from Ida when flames suddenly came out of nowhere, ice following hot on its heels.

"One after another...so many interruptions today." Stain muttered, displeased.

Midoriya twisted to look over his shoulder as the latest of Stain's interruptions, stepped into the alley.

"Midoriya. Learn to write more specific directions." Todoroki complained, looking down at his phone as he walked down the alley. "I was almost too late."

"Todoroki, you too?" Ida asked.

"But how'd you...? And...your left...!" Midoriya stuttered out.

"'How'? That's my line." Todoroki replied. "Took me a few seconds to figure it out. That group text to everyone with nothing but your location. Because sending out a totally meaningless message isn't your style. I realized it meant, "I'm in trouble. Help!". Don't worry. In just a few more minutes the pros'll be here."

As he said this, Todoroki used his ice to lift Midoriya, Ida, and Native up out of his way and attacked Stain with his fire. Coordinating his attacks, he managed to move the three back behind him, the three hitting the ground like rag dolls.

"It's just like the reports said. But you're not killing these guys today, Hero Killer." Todoroki declared.

"Todoroki, don't let him draw blood! Pretty sure he paralyzes opponents by ingesting their blood! That's how he got us!" Midoriya warned.

"Explains all the blades. So I've just gotta keep my distance-"

Todoroki was cut off and sent dodging to the side as Stain threw a blade at him, the blade just nicking his cheek to draw blood. At the sight of that blood, Stain charged in, moving fast.

"You've got some good friends, Ingenium!" Stain called.

Todoroki stopped Stain's other blade with ice, but with his attention on the blade, Stain was able to get in close, grabbing Todoroki by his costume to keep him in place while he went in for the blood on his cheek. Just shy of getting the blood, flames burst forth, driving the Hero Killer back. Todoroki quickly wiped the blood from his cheek.

"Close one." he breathed.

Almost instantly, Stain attacked again.

"Todoroki! Look out!" Midoriya warned.

Stain came in low, blade flashing, but Todoroki wasn't concerned.

"Good thing I didn't come alone." Todoroki remarked, making Stain hesitate for just a second. "Halyn! Now!"

"With pleasure!"

In the next second, something black and blue blurred past Todoroki and a steel toe boot slammed into the side of Stain's face, sending the man flying back off his feet from the sheer force behind the hit. He slammed into some crates at the other end of the alley as the person that kicked him, landed in a crouch, long, blue tail flicking behind her. Standing to her feet, she planted herself between her friends and Stain. Ida and Midoriya couldn't believe their eyes.

Then again, they kind of could because this was definitely something she would do.

"Ha-chan/Leander!" they called.

Halyn turned, giving her two friends a soft and soothing smile that she always had for those she went to help.

"You guys just hang tight, alright? Shoto and I got this." Halyn turned back, her eyes fixing on Stain as he climbed out of the remains of the former crates. "Shoto, I'll handle close combat, you provide support."

"Got it." Todoroki replied.

While he didn't like the fact of her trading blows with Stain, up close and personal, Todoroki knew that, as far as hand-to-hand combat went, Halyn was the better of the two of them.

"Why...? The three...of you...just stop it." Ida called out. "I've inherited my brother's name. **I** have to do this. He's **mine** to-"

"Inherited his name? That's weird." Todoroki remarked. "Cuz the Ingenium I know never made faces like that. Guess your family's **also** got a dark side to it."

Ida stared at Todoroki's but was forced to turn his attention to Halyn as she spoke, her eyes focused on Stain as he got to his feet.

"Take it from someone who knows, Ida, I know what it's like to want to get revenge. Really I do." Halyn remarked. "But I also know that there's a thin line between heroes and villains because we're two halves of the same coin. It doesn't take much of a step to go from a good hero to one misguided and blinded by his rage and hatred to the point that he can't see past himself. We aren't here to fulfill selfish agendas."

"Leander..."

Halyn turned for a moment, giving Ida a smile.

"A true hero always thinks of themselves last and those around them, first." Halyn turned back around, cracking her knuckles as she prepared herself to confront Stain. Stain was both surprised and pleased by the resolved look on her face. "That's why, no matter what you say, I will stay right here, between him and you. I will fight until either you are safe, or I draw my last breath, because, as a hero, I will always act as the buffer between people and the harm of the fallout zone. I won't let down my friends in their time of need. Even if they don't ask for my help."

Staind chuckled to himself. It seemed that he had found a couple of promising heroes, but he still had his duty to kill those he deemed as fake heroes.

"I like the look in your eyes, kid, so I'll let you live. Move aside." Stain told Halyn.

Right before his eyes, Halyn dropped into a crouch, her tail twitching like that of a cat who saw its prey cornered before their eyes. Her lips spread in a grin as she shifted, her backside raising into the air.

"Like I said, I'm staying right here between you and them." she replied.

Stain only had the slight flexing of muscles as a warning before the girl was rocketing towards him, her speed surprising him. He found out quickly though, that unlike with her Ingenium friend, she was able to changed her direction at the drop of a pin, twisting out of his way when he swung a blade at her. He caught the leg she swung to him, gritting his teeth as his feet slid a foot. A twist and she flipped away from him, landing on her feet.

He would have to take out of her legs.

Stain attacked, Halyn moving to avoid his blade. She was suddenly very grateful for the reflexes her brother helped her to train and hone. Without them, she would be mince meet. When his next attack came, her knees bent. Todoroki knew what she was about to do. When she launched herself into the sky, he attacked with fire. Stain dodged, using the fire to his advantage to attack Halyn while her view was blocked.

"Obstructing your vision when up against an opponent just as fast as you...poor strategy, indeed." Stain chided, bursting through the flames.

"Halyn!" Todoroki called in warning, as the blade flashed, swinging towards Halyn's exposed left side.

All three of her friends held their breaths as the sword hit Halyn right at the ribs.

But the blade didn't make it past the material of her hoodie.

Stain's eyes widened in shock. Halyn, hands clothed in gloves of the same material, latched onto the blade, keeping him from pulling it back. She grinned widely when his eyes turned to her face.

"Hate to break it to you, but this material can't be cut by your flimsy steel. Your jaw, however," A grunt left Stain as her foot rocketed up, steel toe colliding with the underside of his jaw. "Now that can be broken."

"Halyn, get back!" Todoroki called, a blast of flames heading for them.

A simple flip backwards put Halyn out of the line of fire. Stain backed up, Todoroki preparing to attack again. Stain turned on him then, taking advantage of the opening in Todoroki's stance to throw two blades. Those blades buried themselves in Todoroki's left forearm, stopping his flames. Concern coating her features, Halyn turned.

"Shoto!"

"Now you."

Halyn pulled up short, yanking back as Stain appeared in front of her, but she couldn't stop the blow that hit her hard in the chest, sending her rocketing back into crates. With a crash, the crates broke under her weight. All that could be seen of her, was her legs, but it didn't look like the girl was moving.

"Halyn?!" Todoroki called, stepping forward to go check on her.

"You're not bad either."

The gleeful remark had Todoroki pulling up short and rocking back on his heels as Stain attacked from above, blade ready to pierce him through. To Stain's surprise, Midoriya had recovered from his quirk's effects and Midoriya used the opening from that shock to drag Stain away from Todoroki and the others.

"Midoriya!" Todoroki called.

"Somehow I can move again just fine!" Midoriya called back.

"So it has a time limit?" Todoroki asked.

"No. He was the last of us to get hit! And I still can't move." Native replied.

Ida tried to move his body, to see if maybe he could move again, but his body still would not budge. Stain, at that moment, jammed an elbow into Midoriya's side, getting him to release him. While Stain landed on his feet, Midoriya landed rolling, only to go scrambling to avoid Todoroki's ice.

"Get back, Midoriya!" Todoroki called.

Midoriya scrambled back to Todoroki's side, only breathing a breath of relief when he was safe at his friend's side.

"So he tasted our blood and paralyzed us. But I was the first to break free somehow. I can think of three possible explanations. Either the effect is weaker the more people he uses it on...or it's about how much blood he gets...or its effectiveness depends on the blood type." Midoriya theorized.

"It's the third one."

All eyes turned to Halyn as she pulled herself out of the crumpled remains of the crate she had landed in. Giving her head a shake, she shook pieces of wood out of her hair.

"You alright, Halyn?" Todoroki called.

"Yeah. Just knocked me for a loop for a second." Halyn replied, dusting pieces of wood off herself as she skirted Stain to return to Todoroki's side.

"What did you say, Ha-chan?" Midoriya asked.

Halyn kept her eyes locked on Stain.

"It's the third option. It's about blood type. By licking up the blood of his opponent, he can incapacitate them for up to eight minutes. It's most effective against type B, then AB, followed by A, and finally O. Deku, you must be type O, same as me." Halyn said.

"Blood type? Makes sense...I'm B." Native said.

"And I'm A." Ida added.

"No wonder you two are still unable to move then." Halyn told them.

"Halyn, you mean..." Todoroki trailed off as Halyn, grin on her face, raised her left hand, showing that she was missing her glove.

"I got it when he sent me flying into the crate." Halyn confirmed.

"Though it's not like knowing that'll really help us." Midoriya remarked.

"We need to hurry and get these two out of here." Todoroki agreed.

"And do it without getting ourselves killed in the process." Halyn added.

"He's quick enough to react to both my fire and ice. So I'm not seeing an opening. He has a little bit of tougher time keeping up with Halyn, but even when fighting with her, there's very few openings. Until the pros get here, our best hope is to keep him at bay and keep dodging. Unless," Todoroki turned to look at Halyn. "Halyn, you said you got it?"

"Yeah." Halyn confirmed.

"Then use it against him if you get the chance." he told her.

"Way ahead of you, Shoto." Halyn replied, pulling a blade out of one of the many pockets on the inside of her hoodie.

She gave it a twirl, settling it snugly in her hand as Midoriya powered himself up with One For All once more. Between the three of them, she was sure they could manage.

"You've got too much exposed blood, Todoroki. Ha-chan and I will draw his attention while you provide rear support! Ha-chan, you try to get close and do what you have to." Midoriya suggested.

"Pretty risky plan...but yeah." Todoroki agreed.

"Sound good to me." Halyn said.

"The three of us will protect them." Todoroki declared.

Ida stared up at the backs of his three friends, all of which were ready to go down swinging in order to protect him. It forced him to see what Stain had been trying to tell him. Where he had charged in, seeking only to kill Stain to fulfill his own grudge, Midoriya, Todoroki, and Halyn had charged into the fight with no other thought than saving him and Native. He watched as Midoriya and Halyn launched themselves back into the fight, the two working together to try to make openings for Todoroki so Halyn could get in close enough to use Stain's own quirk against him.

He watched as Halyn was sent flying into a wall, sliding down the brick surface before picking herself up and jumping back in. Watched as Midoriya took another gash, Stain paralyzing him once more with a simple lick of the blood on his blade, leaving Halyn to stand between Stain and her rear support.

"Stop it...I can't...take it..." Ida pleaded.

"If you wanna stop this then stand up! Never forget who you want to become!" Todoroki yelled at him.

Stain knocked Halyn aside, the girl bouncing off another wall, and made his way for Todoroki, breaking through the ice wall Todoroki threw up. No longer holding back, Stain threw three knives, seeking to bring Todoroki down and clear his way to Ida and Native. What happened next, had Ida, as well as his friends and Native, staring in horror.

"Shoto!"

Todoroki's eyes flew open wide, horror sinking in as, in a burst of speed, Halyn threw herself between him and the blades. All three hit home, sending the girl crashing to the ground, blood pouring from wounds.

"Halyn!"

Todoroki grit his teeth, unable to go to her as Stain bypassed Halyn and went straight for him. His flames rushed out, but Stain easily evaded them, his sword coming up under Todoroki's guard. Todoroki knew, without a doubt, that at that range, he couldn't dodge.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you? Relying too heavily on your quirk makes you sloppy. At least the girl had decent combat skills." Stain scolded even as his blade aimed to take Todoroki's life.

Todoroki was only saved by Ida finally forcing his body to move, coming to his rescue by breaking Stain's sword with a single kick. A burst of his engines had Ida spinning to swing a kick at Stain. Stain blocked, but was forced to retreat. Todoroki instantly rushed to Halyn's side, falling to his knees to check on her.

"Halyn?" he called, as she shifted, forcing herself up. "Don't move too much. You're losing a lot of blood."

As she sat up, he saw that one blade had grazed her right shoulder, most of the blade having bounced off the material of her hoodie, another barely finding its mark in her left thigh, just above her stocking. The last, though, he saw with horror, had found it's home in her left side, just above her hip. It had found the one part of her side not covered by her hoodie and, at least, half of the blade had made it past her skin. That was where most of the blood was coming from. Halyn had clamped her right hand around the blade, trying to stave off the blood flow as much as possible.

She might not feel any pain from it, but she was losing a lot of blood. Even more so when she pulled the other two blades out of her shoulder and thigh.

"Stop! You're losing too much blood." he told her.

"I'm aware, but I'll be fine. I'm pretty sure he missed any vital organs. Help me up, Shoto." Halyn told him.

"Stop joking! You can't fight this way!" he told her.

"I can and I will. I can't afford to add another burden to you and Deku." Halyn replied.

Placing her free hand on his shoulder, she used him to get back to her feet. Her vision swam for a moment before she found her footing, Todoroki rushing to his feet to wrap an around around her uninjured side to support her.

"Shoto, I need you to do me a favor." Halyn told him.

"A favor?" he repeated.

"I'm going to pull this blade out of my side. When I do, I need you to cauterize the wound close."

Todoroki stared at her in open disapproval and horror. He was shaking his head before she could say anything else. There was no way he was going to do that to her.

"Shoto, listen to me! I can't feel the pain, but I can die from blood loss! You have to do this." she told him, reasoning with him.

He didn't like it, he really didn't, but she had a point. He still hated to do this to her, but he nodded in agreement.

"Good. On the count of three." Halyn told him, gripping the hilt of the blade.

Todoroki got ready, fire burning to life around his left hand. Halyn counted off the numbers and, at three, she yanked the blade free, Todoroki's hand instantly replacing it with his burning hand. He felt the skin under his hand, once sooth and scar free, burn and blister under his touch. Halyn never reacted, but when he pulled his hand away, the skin beneath was burned closed, blistering and bright red.

Ida watched it all, watched Halyn willingly allow herself to be burned in order to continue a fight he had started. All three of his friends had bled for him, taking up a fight that he had naively started. As he watched Midoriya, rendered immobile, sitting on the ground, watched as Todoroki continued to support an already weakening Halyn, his own left arm still bleeding, Ida found his resolve.

"This had nothing to do with any of you...so I'm sorry..." Ida said.

"Not that again." Midoriya complained.

"That's why...I swear I won't let you three lose any more blood here." Ida promised them.

"Hate to break it to you, Ida...but I'm losing more blood by the second." Halyn told him.

"You know what I meant!" Ida retorted, his back stiffening as it did in class.

Halyn chuckled lowly, leaning into Todoroki's side for a moment as she drew on what strength she had left to stand on her own.

"Glad to see the old Ida back." she remarked.

"It's no use pretending. A person's true nature is not so easily changed. You're a fake who prioritized his own selfish desires!" Stain snapped. "A cancer on this society warped by "Heroes". Someone needs to correct the system."

"So you're a fundamentalist? Get with the times. Ida. Don't even think of listening to his so-called reasoning." Todoroki told Ida.

"No. He's right. I have no right to call myself a hero. Still...I won't let him break me, because if I break then Ingenium's really dead." Ida replied.

"You're hopeless." Stain told him.

"No, he's not."

Stain turned his eyes to Halyn, who, pulling away from Todoroki, braced her feet, standing on her own.

"He knows his mistake and he's going to strive to fix it. You're right, a person's true nature never really changes, but someone's nature is not so simple that it can be summed up in a few short sentences. Humans are complex, each of us composed of different values and morals and wants and desires. Yes, he put his need to avenge his brother first, but that just shows the great love he has for him. I have seen him respond in a time of need and I know what kind of person he is. He might stumble, as all humans do because we aren't perfect, but he learns from his mistakes and truly cares about the safety and well being of others. I respect the man he is and I know that, some day, he will become a hero truly worthy of the name. You, yourself, are so blinded by your wants and desires, that you can't grasp that!" Halyn told him.

"Leander..." Ida looked back at Halyn's serious face, her words hitting him in the heart. That she truly felt that way about him, that she saw him with such respect, made him grit his teeth to fight off tears.

"You think so? I am doing this for our society." Stain told her.

"Good intentions do not justify a killer!" Halyn retorted. "As they say, "The path to evil is paved with good intentions". Your's is riddled with them, but it is still the same path."

The look on Stain's face got stormier with each word that left Halyn's mouth. Maybe it was because she had angered him, or maybe it was because he saw some tiny bit of reasoning in her words. Whatever the cause, it had Ida and Todoroki closing ranks in around Halyn. She was too injured to respond to an attack with her usual speed and they knew it. Before Stain could act, Todoroki attacked with his flames.

"Idiot! The Hero Killer's after me and the dude in the white armor! Forget fighting back! Just get out of here!" Native snapped.

"I don't think he'll let us. He went through a clear change a minute ago. He's all fired up too." Todoroki replied.

"Sorry. It was probably my fault." Halyn said from his side.

"It's fine. Just stay behind me." Todoroki told her.

"No. I'll fight." Todoroki threw a look at her that she had no problem reading. "I am more than capable of continuing to fight...for now."

Todoroki didn't say anything back. He knew, by now, that arguing with her was a waste of time. She could be just as stubborn as him when she wanted to be.

"Besides...it's not his quirk that makes him strong." Halyn remarked. "Intel suggest that he would be scared off if facing multiple opponents, but he's only gotten more serious. That kind of tenacity is what makes him strong. The way he's bouncing from one place to the other...only two of us can match that and Midoriya is down until the effect of the Hero Killer's quirk wears off. That leaves me. I lost a bit of blood, but I still got a good five minutes left in me before my body decides it's time to shut down."

Five minutes.

Todoroki didn't like those odds.

Especially not if it was going to be playing with Halyn's life.

"Shoto." Todoroki glanced at her as she laid a hand on his arm. Her expression was firm and set, her resolve solid. "I can fight. I'm not going to push myself any further than I have to."

He had a feeling he was going to regret this.

"Don't get yourself hurt anymore than this." he told her.

"Got it."

Ida glanced at the two, wondering when they got so close. The two now acted like they had been friends for a long time. He was forced to focus on Stain, though. He could ask Halyn and Todoroki about it later. He glanced down at his left leg. He could tell that his reciprocating engine was broken.

"Todoroki! Can you regulate temperatures?" Ida asked.

"I'm not really used to my **left** , but why?" Todoroki asked, trying to keep Stain back.

"Freeze my leg for me without blocking the exhaust pipes!" Ida requested.

"Shoto! Knife!" Halyn called.

Ida took a dive, stretching out an arm to take the knife intended for Todoroki. It was quickly followed by another blade that went straight through his arm, knocking him to the ground. Stain dived for them, but was knocked off course when Halyn rammed into him from the side. She felt the tug on the newly burned skin on her side and twisted to avoid a jab for the wound that Stain sent her way. The two hit the ground, Halyn rolling free of Stain and back to her feet. With a jump from each, they clashed, Halyn knocking his blade strikes aside with her own blade.

Somehow, he managed, in her weakened state, to get a hold of a bit of the blood on her shoulder. With a gasp, Halyn hit the ground, her body not wanting to respond.

"Shoto!" she called in warning.

Stain leapt into the air, aiming another attack for Ida and Todoroki.

"Just do it, quickly!" Ida demanded of Todoroki.

Todoroki froze the leg, as request and Ida pulled the blade from his arm with his teeth, getting to his feet just as Midoriya did. The two hit Stain hard, but he just wouldn't go down. Todoroki added his own fire power to the mix, fire rocketing from another direction to join his, the four attacks succeeding in taking Stain down. Todoroki quickly crafted a ramp of ice to catch Ida and Midoriya to somewhat ease their fall. Stain's body caught on the ice though, the man unconscious.

"He's out cold...right?" Midoriya asked.

"Let's tie him up and get out to the main road. See any sort of rope we can use?" Todoroki suggested, even as he moved to Halyn's side, crouching to lift her up. He turned his attention to her. "Was that extra fire you?"

Halyn grinned.

"I kind of snagged a tiny bit of your power before we entered the fight." she admitted. "You aren't mad, are you?"

"No." he assured her, shaking his head.

He helped her to her feet, the girl already regaining movement of her body, but she was weak from the blood loss. He pulled her left arm over his shoulders, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. He helped her over to the others.

"We should take all his weapons too, just in case." Midoriya suggested.

After finding some rope to tie up Stain and removing all of his weapons, Native was finally able to move. He ended up carrying Midoriya while Todoroki supported Halyn with one arm and dragged Stain with the other. Together, the five left the alley, taking it slow for Halyn's benefit.

"Of course we'd find rope in a trash-filled alleyway." Todoroki remarked.

"Todoroki, please allow me to drag him. You have Leander." Ida asked.

"Your arms are all messed up though." Todoroki told him before turning his attention to Halyn. "How are you doing?"

"Tired. My body is starting to slow down." Halyn admitted.

"You can't rest yet. Not until we get you to a paramedic." Todoroki told her, tightening his grip around her waist just a little bit more.

"I know. Doesn't stop my eyelids from feeling heavy." Halyn replied, leaning against him a little.

"Sorry...I'm suppose to be a pro, but all I did was get in the way." Native told them.

"Don't sweat it...it would've happen to anyone in a one-on-one against the Hero Killer and his quirk...He's so strong." Midoriya told him.

"Even in a four-on-one fight, we just barely won because he screwed up. He probably got so mad that he forgot about the effect wearing off Midoriya. And with Ida's final recipro...he couldn't react in time to Midoriya's movements." Todoroki said.

"I know one thing for sure." Halyn said, heaving a sigh.

"What, Ha-chan?" Midoriya asked.

"When my brothers hear about this, I won't need the Hero Killer to kill me. They'll do it for him." Halyn replied.

"I don't think it'll be that bad." Todoroki told her.

"You haven't seen Remus angry. It happens so rarely, but when it does...he's scarier than the Hero Killer, ten fold." Halyn retorted.

The mere thought was terrifying to image.

"Huh?! Whaaa...Why're you here?!"

The sudden yell had all of them looking up. Gran Torino, Midoriya's mentoring hero, appeared off another street, looking angry when he saw Midoriya. Halyn blinked in surprise when Gran Torino slammed a foot into Midoriya's face.

"I told you t'stay in your seat!" Gran Torino snapped. Fuming, he looked them all over, noting the way Halyn was leaning against Todoroki for support. "Well...I don't know what happened here, but glad to see you're still alive."

A group of heroes showed up then. The whole group crowded them, checking on them, saying something about receiving a back-up request from Endeavor. The only female among the group, took over supporting Halyn for Todoroki.

"So he's...Endeavor's still over there fighting, then?" Todoroki asked.

"Oh, yeah. Those Nomu siblings or whatever." Midoriya chimed in as Native let him down off his back.

"Yes! Those of us whose quirks had no effect on those villains came to help you guys." the woman told them.

"I can stand on my own." Halyn said then, finding her own feet.

"Are you sure? You look awfully pale." the woman remarked.

"I'll be fine." Halyn assured her, one arm still wrapped around her mid-drift, mostly hiding the wound on her side.

"Halyn..." Todoroki said in a warning tone.

"I'm fine, Shoto. I want to sleep, so standing on my own will keep me awake." Halyn told him.

Todoroki heaved a sigh when she smiled at him in that cheerful way that sometimes made him wonder if the girl even understood the term "self-preservation".

"The three of you," Todoroki, Midoriya and Halyn turned to Ida when he spoke, the boy bowing to them. "You were wounded because of me. I am so terribly sorry. I...was blind...I lost sight of everything."

"No, I'm sorry too. I couldn't tell at all that you were so upset about it. And I'm supposed to be your friend." Midoriya said.

"I'm no better. I could tell and I didn't say anything. You have my apologies, too, Ida." Halyn said.

Hearing them apologize to him, tears came to Ida's eyes, spilling over to drip down onto the cement below.

"Get it together. You're class president, aren't you?" Todoroki asked.

Rubbing away the tears, Ida agreed. Halyn smiled softly as she watched Ida. Even though she felt light headed and like a little wind could knock her over, she was happy to see Ida back to himself.

All in all, the whole fight with Stain lasted only about ten minutes, at the most. The whole thing seemed to take so much longer than that to Halyn and she was pretty sure she would miss out on, at least, a few days of her internship due to her injuries.

And boy, were her brothers going to be upset.

She was just starting to feel her body relax, getting ready to shut down for a long nap, when a yell suddenly broke through her slowly fogging brain.

"Get down!" Gran Torino yelled.

Starting to feel sluggish, Halyn didn't react as quickly as she normally would. She turned, only barely catching sight of the flying Nomu as it swooped down, scooping up her in one taloned foot and Midoriya in the other. In a rush of air, it rose into the air, carrying the two of them along with it.

"Midoriya! Leander!"

Ida's yell finally broke through the fog in her head and Halyn snapped back to attention. The Nomu had a tight grip around her waist, talons slowly ripping into her cauterized wound. After all the trouble Todoroki had gone through to close the wound for her, this creature was ripping it back open and that made Halyn mad.

From below, they watched as, with a furious yowl, Halyn came to life, fighting against the Nomu and sending the creature swaying from side to side as she kicked, punched, and clawed. The creature just continued about it's way, giving Halyn a shake that rattled her brain. Unknown to them all, Stain had regained consciousness, slipping free a knife that Midoriya and the others had missed to cut himself free. Then, pausing to swipe up a bit of the Nomu's blood that had splattered on the female hero's face, he attacked and killed the Nomu, bringing it down while freeing Midoriya and Halyn from its grip.

"Both this sham-filled society and the criminals who wield their power in the name of petty mischief are targets of my purge. All for the sake of a better society..." Stain said, setting Midoriya and Halyn down on the ground.

Endeavor chose then to show up, which only set Stain off. He looked down at Midoriya in a glance, but that tiny look, filled with such blood-lusting tenacity, had Halyn scrambling for Midoriya. Before his eyes, Stain watched as Halyn, her back facing Midoriya, threw her body over his, spread her arms wide in defense of her friend, despite how injured she, herself, was. She met Stain's gaze, her own expression fierce. No amount of Midoriya trying to budge her would get the girl to move from her defensive position.

Chuckling because he liked the look on her face, Stain turned away from her. The two were not what he was after. They just might become heroes worthy of the title. His eyes, wide and crazed, landed on Endeavor. Everyone reacted, frozen by the sheer tenacity of the Hero Killer. Even Endeavor was taken by surprise.

In the end, though, it turned out that, in their fight with him, one of them had broken one of Stain's ribs and that rib had pierced his lung. He had pushed his body too far and ended up passing out cold while still on his feet.

But still, that amount of tenacity...and Halyn had thought herself determined.

With an exhale of relief, Halyn sagged back on the ground. Things certainly had become quite active for her since she had moved to Japan.

"Halyn," Todoroki called over to her. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm dead." Halyn called back, draping an arm over her face. "Honestly...this country is crazy."

She said it, but Midoriya could see a smile on her face. Halyn, just like the rest of them, was just glad to have made it through the whole event alive and in one piece.

With the Hero Killer taken into custody and the last Nomu taken down, Halyn and her friends were carted off to the hospital. Halyn knew her brothers would be contacted, but she was just glad her friends were alright. For the night, she would just be grateful.

She could worry about everything else in the morning.

END

Kyandi: There you go! A longer chapter to make up for the previous, shorter chapter.

Halyn: You really like taking any chance to make me as cat-like as possible, don't you?

Kyandi: Yep. I think it's a nice, funny little trait to have.

Halyn: If you say so. Don't you have an announcement?

Kyandi: OH! Right! Everyone, today, I released my first ever YouTube video! So go to my bio page, the link is there, and check it out!

Halyn: She was so nervous doing the video that she had to redo it about twenty times.

Kyandi: That is a lie...it was only eighteen.

Halyn: Still. Then it took you two minutes to finish push the publish button.

Kyandi: I'm fragile, leave me alone. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review and go check out the video. It's not much, but I wanted to get the channel set up.

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	14. Aftermath and Recovery

Kyandi: I'm back, everyone! Sorry it took so long.

Halyn: Life gave her a crap load to deal with.

Kyandi: That's the truth. So all I can do is apologize and make up for it with the three chapters I'm was able to finish over my two days off.

Halyn: And she has a fourth chapter almost done.

Kyandi: Right. I'm getting really close to the summer camp part of the story line and I have a lot planned for that.

Halyn: None of which we're going to share at this time.

Kyandi: Nope. You're all going to have to wait and read. So, everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 14 Aftermath and Recovery

"Looking back now...what we did was incredible."

Halyn wasn't sure incredible was the word she would have used now that the sun had risen on them after a night in the hospital.

After being checked over and their wounds cared for, all four friends had been placed in the same hospital room, Halyn requesting to stay with her friends. Midoriya had ended up with an arm and leg bandaged, Todoroki with only one arm wrapped in bandages. Ida had ended up with both arms wrapped and in a sling.

Out of the four of them, it was Halyn that had been deemed the most critical. All night, nurses had been in and out of their room, constantly checking on Halyn who had to undergo a blood transfusion as well as liquid IVs in order replenish the blood she had lost. According to doctors, Halyn had gotten off lucky that the knife had not nicked any vital organs or veins. Still, she had lost a good deal of blood. Then there was Todoroki's rushed patch job.

Todoroki was assured, quickly, by the doctors that if he hadn't done it, she might have bled out before arriving at the hospital.

That being said, she now had severe burns on top of a stab wound to heal from. Sitting there, watching Halyn's pale, sleeping face all night, had done little to make Todoroki feel better for giving in to the request. It might have saved her life, but what if he had only made it worse? He couldn't have lived with it.

This morning found Halyn propped up in her pillows, her complexion looking better than it had the night before.

"With such a reckless, last ditch effort...I still say it's a miracle the four of us are still alive." Halyn said, shifting slightly in her bed.

As they had all night through whenever she moved, the three of them tensed, ready to get up if she needed help. Halyn saw this and heaved a sigh.

"Will you three stop it. I'm fine." she told them.

"You should still stay as still as possible for now. Just in case." Todoroki told her.

"Yes, yes. I know."

Something in her tone of voice, told him that she had no plan to listen to him. Todoroki shook his head.

"Anyway, with my leg, if he'd wanted to kill me...he easily could've." Midoriya said, getting the conversation back on track.

"Yeah. He definitely **let** us live." Todoroki agreed.

"I don't feel like that's fully the case." Halyn said, looking over at Ida. "He was definitely after your life."

"She's right. But even with him coming at you with all that blood lust, you still stood up to him. Impressive. I came to save you but ended up needing your help. Sorry." Todoroki told Ida before turning on Halyn. "And you...what were you thinking, throwing yourself in front of me, like that?"

"What was I thinking...Absolutely nothing." All three boys stared at her. Halyn grinned back at them. "I've already told you that, sometimes, my body moves without me thinking. But if you really want a reason...I didn't want to watch you get filled with holes."

It was as simple as that for her. She smiled, proud of herself, as she leaned back into her pillows. Todoroki would of scolded her, but he was too grateful that she was alright.

Maybe later.

The door to their room opened then, making the four turn to look. Gran Torino entered the room with Manual, the hero Ida had been interning with, and a third person.

"Ohh, all the little wounded warriors are awake!" Gran Torino said, looking around at them. He turned to Midoriya then. "I'm still gonna chew you out, but before that, you've got a visitor."

The third man, who had the head of a dog, turned out to be the chief of Hosu's police department, Tsuragamae Kenji. Todoroki and Ida got to their feet. When Halyn pulled back the covers on her bed so she and Midoriya could do the same, Tsuragamae waved them back down.

"Please stay seated, _woof_." It was only Midoriya who seemed to latch onto the fact that the chief had just woofed like a dog. "So you're the UA students who put a stop to the Hero Killer, _woof_. As for the Hero Killer...he's currently in treatment for his burns, broken bones, and a number of other serious injuries, _woof_. At the dawn of this extraordinary era, the police moved to prioritize leadership and to maintain the status quo, so they decided not to use quirks as weapons. The profession of "Hero" rose as one that would fill that void, _woof_. Authorizing the use of such might...of these powers that could so very easily kill, was a heavily criticized decision at first, but it would garner public support. All because **your predecessors** acted morally and complied with the laws, _woof_. But those without permission, those who inflicted harm without explicit instruction from the police and powers that be, **even if** they were to face someone like the Hero Killer...such action would represent a stunning breach of the law, _woof_."

Oh, they were in trouble.

"You three, as well as your pro hero mentors, Endeavor, Manual, Gran Torino, the seven of you must be dealt with strictly and impartially." Tsuragamae said.

"Hold on a minute." All eyes turned to Todoroki as he spoke, his anger getting the best of him. Ida tried to stop him, but Todoroki wasn't listening. "If Ida hadn't acted, Native would've been killed. And if Midoriya hadn't shown up, both of them would be dead. And Halyn saved my life. Nobody even knew the Hero Killer was in town."

"Shoto..."

Todoroki ignored Halyn and continued.

"Should we have let people die, all in the name of your "law"?!"

"Shoto."

"Everything turned out fine, so just forget about the law this time! Isn't it a hero's **job** to save people?" Todoroki demanded.

"Shoto."

Todoroki continued to ignore Halyn despite the sternness that was starting to enter her tone.

"Clearly you've much to learn. Some education you're getting, _woof_ , from UA and Endeavor." Tsuragamae said.

"You mutt-"

"Shoto, shut up!"

Todoroki was taken completely by surprise when he was hit suddenly, and rather forcefully, with a pillow. The force was enough to knock the boy off his feet, sending him crashing into the floor. He knew instantly who had done it and sat up, ready to get mad at her.

"Halyn-"

Todoroki cut off when his eyes landed on her, seeing that she was gripping her side, shifting on the bed in uncomfortable way.

"Well that tugged in an unpleasant way." she remarked.

"Do I need to call the doctor?" Manual asked.

"No, no, I'm fine. I might need a bandage change after that throw, but I'm fine for now. Please continue." Halyn insisted, giving Todoroki a look that said to be quiet. "Shoto, please, be quiet and let him finish."

Todoroki made no move to say another word.

Tsuragamae thanked her and cleared his throat before he continued.

"All of that...is what I'm obligated to tell you, as the police. But...the real question is whether or not to deal with this issue publicly, _woof_. If we let the story out, you'll all be applauded by the public, but you won't be able to avoid punishment. But if we keep all this nasty business to ourselves, the Hero Killer's burns will support the story that Endeavor was the key operative. He'll receive the accolades, _woof_. Fortunately, the number of eye-witnesses was small enough that we can hush up this whole matter before it causes problems, _woof_. But in that case, your decisive action and achievements will remain unknown to the general public. What do you say?! I'm an understanding man. So when it comes to a promising group of young people, I'd rather not have to pursue charges over this admittedly massive indiscretion, _woof_!"

Tsuragamae gave the four of them a thumbs up.

"Either way, **our** negligence is to blame. We have to take responsibility." Manual said.

"I'm so very sorry." Ida told him, bowing to him.

Manual gave him a light smack on the back of the head.

"Yeah! You caused big trouble for your mentor, so don't do it again!" Manual told him.

All four students bowed their heads.

"Thanks for everything. The world's an unfair place. You'll receive none of the commendations that you might have otherwise, but, at least, as someone invested in keeping the peace, I can thank you!" Tsuragamae said, bowing in thanks to the four of them.

Todoroki glanced at Halyn who smiled at him.

"Sometimes it's best to hear a person out, don't you think, Shoto?" she asked. "I know you can be cool headed, too, so, next time, let's lead with that instead of the hot head, okay?"

Todoroki looked off to the side, his way of apologizing being a simple, "You could've led with that.". Halyn smiled brightly at him as he returned her pillow, slipping it behind her for her.

None of them had known they would end up in that back alley and, when everything was said and done, the world would never know what they had done, but Halyn was okay with that. She didn't need any credit. As long as everyone was alright and the Hero Killer was behind bars, she was content.

With another bow, the adults left, leaving the four to get some rest. Once the door was closed, Halyn threw her blanket to the side. Todoroki tried to protest but Halyn simply eased her legs off the bed and turned to part open the side of her gown so that the bandages around her waist were bared. A big red blotch was starting to grow on the bandages. Halyn clicked her tongue.

"That's what I thought." Halyn said, reaching out to pull on the cord to call the nurses.

"Sorry." Todoroki apologized as the door opened.

Halyn informed them she needed a bandage change before smiling at Todoroki as a nurse helped her to ease off the bed.

"It's fine, Shoto." she told him, taking a seat in a wheelchair.

The three watched as the nurse wheeled her out of the room to change her bandages elsewhere. She said it was fine, but he didn't feel like it was. When she didn't come back within twenty minutes, Todoroki went for a walk around the hospital, to clear his mind. He found Halyn at the vending machines, one arm lightly wrapped around her stomach while her head tilted to the side. Due to the stab wound to her thigh, they had her walking with a crutch, though, Todoroki didn't think she should be walking at all.

"Halyn."

Halyn turned, her tail perking up just slightly, when he called her name. As it always did when she saw him, a smile lit her face.

"Oh, Shoto. What are you doing?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same." he told her.

"Oh, um...I got a call from my brothers and after speaking with them, I decided to treat myself to a drink. To celebrate the miracle that my brothers aren't going to force me to come home." Halyn told him smiling, despite the fact that, with her brothers, it was a definite fear.

Finally deciding on what she wanted, she pushed a button, the drink bouncing its way down to the bottom. Halyn went to lean over to get it, but Todoroki beat her to it, retrieving it for her.

"Oh, thanks!" Halyn said, taking the drink.

With that done, the two made their way back to the room, Todoroki slowing his pace for her without making it obvious. He also made sure to watch her steps, ready to step in if she needed help.

"What did your brothers say?" he asked.

"The usual. Yelled at me for ten minutes straight and then started demanding to know what the doctors said and how I was feeling. I love them, but sometimes they act less like brothers and more like mother hens." Halyn replied.

"At least they care." Todoroki replied.

"You have family that cares, too. Your sister is always concerned for you." Halyn told him. "Oops! I wasn't suppose to tell you that."

Halyn slapped a hand over her mouth, glancing at him out of the side of her eyes. Todoroki couldn't help but smile when she did things like that. She gave him a sheepish smile, her expression bright and unburdened as she look up at him. But he was burdened.

"What did the doctor say about the wound?" he asked, gesturing to her side.

"Well, since it's an internship for school, they're going to have Recovery Girl pay me a visit later today to do some serious healing on the stab wound in my side. After that I'll be able to finish my internship after another day in the hospital, but I can't be to active. I'll strictly be watching. That being said, the doctor said there's no doubt in his mind that I'm going to have a scar for the rest of my life. He said that if it hadn't been for cauterizing the wound, I might have been able to get by without much of a scar...if I didn't bleed out. He said the knife came awfully close to nicking a main blood vessel and that I should count myself lucky." Halyn told him. "I certainly won't be able to forget this incident."

Even though she said it all with a smile on her face and a laugh in her voice, Todoroki came to a stop, making her stop and look back at him in questioning. He was well aware that he had only done what she had asked him to do, but now, because of his fire, she bore a scar that would never go away. The last thing he ever wanted to do was scar her in any way. And it obviously showed on his face as he apologized to her...yet again.

Halyn watched as his head bowed, his hands curling into fists at his sides. Heaving a sigh as she watched him mentally beat himself up, she shook her head. It was just like him to hold onto things like this and beat himself up over it. Just as he had done with his mother for all these years. Halyn knew that if she didn't put a stop to it now, he would never let it go.

"Shoto." Todoroki looked up, hearing the clicking of her crutch as she approached him. When he looked up, she was right in front of him and was smiling up at him so sweetly. "You have nothing in the world to apologize to me for. I asked you to do it and if it hadn't been for that, I could have lost a lot more blood and been beyond saving. If anything, **I** should be apologizing to **you** for putting you through that."

"That's not-"

"Shoto." Todoroki cut off, falling silent. "Really, it's fine. I'm going to be just fine. It's just a scar. It's not the first one I've ever gotten and I doubt it'll be the last. Take what I'm saying to heart and stop apologizing."

Content to do just that, Todoroki nodded in agreement. Halyn smiled gratefully when he agreed and what she did next, shocked him. Careful not to pull at her injuries, Halyn stood on her tip toes and, cupping one of his cheeks with her hand, placed a kiss on the other cheek.

"Good, now let's return. I'm not suppose to be on my feet for long. Not yet, at least." she told him, turning to walk away, as if she had done nothing unusual.

"...right."

Todoroki followed after her, reaching up to touch his cheek. Sometimes, she did things, like this kiss, that left him wondering if he should say or do something, only to come to no conclusion on just what he should say or do.

When they returned to the room, Midoriya was gone to make a phone call and Ida had just finished talking to his doctor. The doctor gave Halyn a pointed look, the girl promising that she was heading for her bed. Todoroki remained standing until she was comfortably in her bed, only taking a seat once she had relaxed back into her pillows and turned to Ida.

"Your diagnosis?" she asked.

Ida nodded and what he told them next, had the smile on Halyn's face faltering for a moment. Midoriya chose the next moment to return from his phone call. He entered the room with a smile on his face, not noticing, at first, the serious air in the room.

"Ah, Ida. Just got off the phone with Uraraka and-"

"Midoriya." Todoroki called, stopping him. "Ida...just got his diagnosis."

Midoriya looked at Ida and then at Halyn, who had a serious look on her face as well. Finally catching on to the seriousness of the conversation, he turned a questioning look on Ida.

"My left hand...could have permanent damage." Ida said. "Both of my arms were badly injured, but my left got the worst of it. He severed something called the brachial plexus nerve. But they said that I might regain most of the feeling and use of my hand and fingers if I receive a nerve transplant. When I found the Hero Killer, my mind went blank. I should have told Manual before doing anything else. I may hate him...but he wasn't wrong. So...until I succeed in becoming a true hero, my left hand will serve as a reminder."

Ida's choice made a lot of sense to Midoriya and hit close to home since his own right hand served as a reminder to him, as well.

"Ida. I...feel the same way." Midoriya said, his right hand curling into a fist. " Let's get stronger. Together."

Midoriya and Ida looked up when a hand sudden appeared to lay itself upon Midoriya's. Both looked up at Halyn, who smiled back at them.

"Count me in on that." she told them.

Both smiled back at her, her tail curling in joy upon seeing the smiles. Todoroki watched the three for a moment, finally speaking and drawing their attention to him.

"I'm...sorry..." Todoroki said.

"For what?" Midoriya asked.

"Whenever I'm involved...it feels like...people's hands get messed up. Or something...is it a curse?" Todoroki asked, looking at his own hand, the look on his face suggesting he honestly thought that.

The three stared at Todoroki, eyes wide before all three broke out into laughter.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Midoriya asked.

"Looks like even Todoroki knows how to make a joke." Ida added.

"No, I'm not joking. Just call me "The Hand Crusher"." Todoroki insisted.

More laughter followed, Halyn making her way over to Todoroki's bed. Coming up behind him, she draped herself over his shoulders, hugging him from behind. There was a bright smile on her face as he twisted to look at her.

"You're not cursed, silly boy." she told him, pressing her cheek against his like a purring cat rubbing against it's owner.

Ida and Midoriya watched the two, once again confronted with the thought that they seemed closer than they had before the Sports Festival. Now curious, Ida actually said something.

"You two seem closer." Ida said, making Halyn and Todoroki look at him. "Did something happen.

"Did something happen...? Uhhh..." Halyn trailed off as she thought back to everything that had happened since the Sports Festival between her and Todoroki.

Ida and Midoriya watched as Halyn and Todoroki looked at each other, the two obviously thinking the same thing before Halyn quickly let go of him, her cheeks flaming a bright red while a less obvious blush colored Todoroki's own cheeks. Something definitely had happened.

"Uh, nope. Nothing at all." Halyn said, smiling despite the I-wanna-die look on her face. "We've just become better friends since the Sports Festival, that's all."

With a sheepish laugh, she retreated back to her bed, easing herself down. She didn't look at any of them as she pulled her legs up onto the bed and leaned back into her pillows. Ida and Midoriya looked from her to Todoroki, but Todoroki wasn't looking at them either.

"Okay..." Midoriya said, though it was obvious that he didn't believe it. "There was something I wanted to ask you two. Did you two meet up on the way to help me?"

"Oh! No." Halyn answered.

"We're both interning for the same hero." Todoroki replied.

"Really?" Midoriya asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Endeavor put in an offer for me and I was pretty sure that if Shoto had to deal with his father most of the day for a week straight, then tensions would be running pretty high. At least, this way, he's not the sole focus of his father's attention." Halyn explained.

"You didn't have to do it." Todoroki said idly.

"I do a lot of things I don't have to, Shoto. A true friend doesn't leave the other out to dry." Halyn insisted.

"You wouldn't have been hurt if you hadn't." Todoroki told her.

"Oh, please, don't start with that. Even if I had been interning with another hero, the moment I got that text, I would have high-tailed it over here. It was just lucky that we were already in Hosu." Halyn insisted.

Todoroki opened his mouth, to retort and, more than likely, scold her, but there was a knock and the door opened to a nurse with a wheelchair, there to collect Halyn.

"Saved by the bell!" Halyn said in relief.

Todoroki frowned as she was loaded up into the wheelchair. Right before she was wheeled out of the room, she blew Todoroki a kiss, grinning widely at him. Todoroki felt his eyebrow twitch as the door closed behind Halyn and the nurse. She seemed so smug with herself. He suddenly had the strong urge to rub at his face in a weary way.

Sometimes, she made him wonder what was going on in her head.

-0-0-0-0-

That night, Ida was released into the care of his mother, leaving Midoriya, Todoroki, and a newly healed Halyn, in the room by themselves. The next morning, Todoroki and Halyn were cleared to leave the hospital.

Back in their school uniforms, the two faced Midoriya, who would have to stay in the hospital for a little while longer.

"I'm returning to my internship." Todoroki told Midoriya.

"Back to your dad's agency?" Midoriya asked.

"I still wanna learn everything I can from him." Todoroki said, as he headed for the door, Halyn collecting the last of her things. "Besides, they're saying he defeated the Hero Killer when actually it was his son who helped out. I wanna see if there's any shame on his face."

"And I'm going back to make sure the two of them don't decide to burn each other alive." Halyn added, a smile on her face as she hurried to catch up with Todoroki, only pausing at the doorway. "See you back at school, Deku. Take care of yourself."

"And you, too, Ha-chan." Midoriya told her.

Halyn gave him a smile before closing the door and hurrying after Todoroki. Cheerfully, smiling brightly, she fell into step next to him, her tail swaying joyfully behind her. Todoroki glanced at her, a small smile falling on his face as well. The two of them would return to their internships the following day. For now, they were simply heading back to his house.

It was a pretty lengthy trip by train back home and, about half way through, Todoroki felt Halyn's head thud softly against his shoulder. Turning to look at her, he found her lightly dozing off, her lips curled in contended-house-cat grin. Sometimes, it amazed him just how cat-like she could be. He kind of half expected her to curl up in his lap one day and purr like a cat.

And, as if on cue, a noise rose from Halyn as she cuddled closer to him.

Leaning down close to her, Todoroki confirmed what he thought the noise was.

Halyn was purring.

Exactly how many cat-like traits had she picked up from her brothers over the years?!

Across from them, a pair of older ladies chuckled lowly to each other, commenting on how adorable of a couple the two made. Todoroki looked away from them, his cheeks heating up a little, but he didn't try to correct them. He found that he wasn't really against people thinking they were a couple. Besides, there was a big difference between thinking they were a couple and them actually being one. And that big difference?

His father.

As much as he liked Halyn and was growing to like her more and more with every little thing he found out about her, he would never allow it to be more than a friendship, if for no other reason than that was exactly what his father wanted. He wouldn't put himself and Halyn through any unnecessary stress or tension because his father jumped on what he perceived as a moment of weakness.

He'd rather keep Halyn as a friend than for the two of them to spend the rest of their lives unhappy.

Halyn deserved better than that.

He would leave it at that...for now.

-0-0-0-0-

"You're back!"

Fuyumi greeted the two when they arrived back at the house. Instantly, she had Halyn caught up in a hug, the younger girl taken by surprise. Todoroki watched his sister hug Halyn tightly. Apparently, in the few days Halyn had been in the house, Fuyumi had become attached to the girl.

"Fuyumi-"

Todoroki cut off when Halyn gave him a smile to show that it was alright with her. She gave Fuyumi's back a few pats, assuring the older female that she was just fine.

"I was so worried when Dad said the two of you had ended up in the hospital. Good thing he was there to save you." Fuyumi said, finally releasing Halyn to look at the two of them.

Todoroki and Halyn shared a look, one corner of Halyn's lips twitching with the urge to smile. She held it back and when Fuyumi asked what the look was for, she quickly assured her that there was no look. Fuyumi fell into step along side Halyn, as she and Todoroki headed back for their rooms.

"Honestly, we're fine." Halyn assured her.

"But...Dad said you were stabbed." Fuyumi said.

"Oh, that."

And there she went again. "Oh, that." Was that all she could say? Todoroki heaved a silent sigh. She had worried him sick and all she could say was "Oh, that.". He didn't know if that was just her way of insisting people didn't need to worry, or if she honestly didn't think it was a big deal because she couldn't feel the pain. Either way, it did nothing to relieve the fears of others.

Then she smiled when all Fuyumi did was give her a concerned look. Her left hand went to the spot on her side where she had been stabbed.

"I'm good, honestly. They had Recovery Girl pay me a visit and, besides...Shoto saw to it that I didn't lose more blood than I did." Halyn assured her.

Fuyumi gave her brother a smile, laying a hand on his shoulder to give it a squeeze. Halyn, the whole time, smiled at him. He insisted that it wasn't anything to thank him for, but she didn't see it that way.

After dropping their stuff off in their rooms, Todoroki followed Halyn and his sister to the kitchen, sitting down at a table there, watching at they started dinner, Halyn insisting she would help. He watched as the two laughed and smiled, chatting easily.

When did Halyn get so close to his sister?

It had to be because of how easy it was to approach Halyn. It was like Halyn purposely made herself approachable and likable. He really shouldn't be surprised that Fuyumi liked her. A lot of people liked Halyn. She was cheerful, approachable, and kind. Sometimes, she reminded him of his mother.

Except, without the mental break down.

Maybe it was because of that reason that Fuyumi liked her so much.

Todoroki found himself staring at Halyn, elbow on the table and chin resting in his hand. He didn't realize he was staring, though, until Halyn turned to find him staring, and gave him a bright smile. She turned back to the counter, picking up a pair of chopsticks. She snagged something off the platter she and Fuyumi were using. Turning, she carried it over to him and offered it out to him, her other hand under it to catch any crumbs.

"Say "ah", Shoto!" she said cheerfully.

Todoroki, surprised, looked from the piece of fried squid back to Halyn's face. It was embarrassing to have her feed him, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings by refusing. With Fuyumi silently laughing in the background, he opened his mouth, letting Halyn feed him. He felt his cheeks heat up as Halyn smiled contently and turned back to finish cooking.

In the moment, he knew for sure...he was whipped.

END

Kyandi: I don't think its a completely bad thing to be just a little bit whipped. It just means he cares.

Halyn: Not a lot of people would see it that way.

Kyandi: Oh, no worries...you'll be a little whipped too.

Halyn: I'm not sure I like the sound of that.

Kyandi: You won't care, believe me.

Halyn: I'll have to take your word for it. That aside, don't you have other chapters to get to?

Kyandi: Yes! I do. So, everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: We will return as soon as we can.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	15. Good News, Bad News

Kyandi: And I'm right back!

Halyn: She's a little hyper right now.

Kyandi: Red Bull gives you wings!

Halyn: I'm pretty sure that's just a slogan, Kyandi-sama, and will insist that you do not jump off that dresser because you **do not** have wings.

Kyandi: Aww...you're a buzz kill.

Halyn: If being a buzz kill is keeping you from breaking bones, then I'm guilty. Shall we move on?

Kyandi: Yes, we shall! Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 15 Good News, Bad News

At the end of the internship week, it was back to normal classes. Halyn and Todoroki managed to make it through the week with no more mishaps. Something that Halyn was grateful for. While she needed all the experience she could get...that had been too eventful of a week for her. So the two of them made it through the rest of the week in retaliative peace, though Endeavor had been silently fuming the rest of the week.

Something that Todoroki enjoyed.

The day after their internships ended, found all of Class A reporting back to their normal classes. While Sero and Kirishima laughed at Bakugo for the way Jeanist had gotten his hair to stick, Mina, Asui, and Jiro were asking how the internship had gone for Uraraka.

"It was very...instructive." Uraraka answered, the feel of the girl now different after a week with a battle hero.

"Ochako's had some kind of awakening." Asui remarked.

"She was with the Battle Hero, right?" Jiro asked.

"Such a transformation in just a single week..." Kaminari remarked from where him and Mineta were sitting, watching Uraraka.

"Transformation? Wrong, Kaminari. All women...hide their demonic natures deep within them!" Mineta said, nibbling on his nail.

"What happened to you with Mt. Lady?" Kaminari asked, pulling Mineta's hand away from his mouth before turning. "I, on the other hand, was pretty spoiled. It was tons of fun. Now if you wanna talk about the most transformative, most traumatic experience...that'd be the one you four had!"

Kaminari turned to Halyn, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Ida. Todoroki was sitting in his seat, Halyn perched on the edge of his desk while Midoriya and Ida stood there talking to them. When Kaminari said this, it drew all attention to the three of them.

"Yeah, yeah, the Hero Killer!" Sero exclaimed as Bakugo roughly yanked him and Kirishima around by the back of their blazers.

"I'm just glad you're all still alive." Kirishima added.

"I was so worried." Yoayorozu agreed.

"There was nothing to be worried about, Momo. We're all four fine." Halyn told her, giving her a smile.

"But, weren't you stabbed, Leander?" Kaminari asked.

"Yeah, I heard that they had to get Recovery Girl to come out to see you because of how bad the wound was." Kirishima added.

Halyn pressed a hand to her side. While, thanks to Recovery Girl, the wound was now nothing more than scarred skin, it had been a close call. Instead of letting her classmates worry, she gave them all a smile.

"Don't worry about it. It's all healed. And besides...Shoto had my back." Halyn said, turning to smile at Todoroki, who couldn't help the small smile that curled his lips in reply.

"That's good to hear. I was worried for you. But Endeavor came and saved you, right? That's our number two for you!" Kirishima said.

Halyn looked down at Todoroki when this was said. She knew how he felt about the whole situation when it came to his father, but the four of them had agreed that they wouldn't let others know that it had really been them that had defeated Stain.

"Right...we were _saved_." Todoroki said.

"Lucky us." Halyn added.

Reaching behind her, out of sight of their classmates, Halyn laid her hand on top of Todoroki's, showing her support without everyone in the classroom seeing. A small smile curled Todoroki's lips when he felt her gloved hand on his.

"So I saw on the news that they think the Hero Killer's connected to the League of Villains? I hate to think how things could've turned out if a scary guy like him had showed up at USJ at that time." Ojiro remarked.

As someone who had fought the guy, Halyn could agree. Just the sheer determination of the man was enough to ensure that Halyn never wanted to fight the guy again. She could go the rest of her life without ever facing another villain like him, but, she knew, more than likely, she would.

"Hold on. Sure, he's scary, but did you watch that video, Ojiro?" Kaminari asked. "You can really see his tenacity. His one-track mind. Kind of cool, don't you think?"

"No, Kaminari. Just...no." Halyn said.

Kaminari looked at her as she pressed a hand to her face and shook it. It took him a moment to realize why she had said that and he instantly apologized to Ida, whose brother had suffered greatly thanks to Stain and whose arm had been messed up because of the villain.

"No...it's fine. He's certainly a man of conviction, so if some people think he's cool...I get that." Ida remarked.

"Conviction is one word to use for it." Halyn agreed, heaving a sigh, Ida nodding in agreement.

"But his convictions have led him to conclude that society requires a _purge_. And no matter what one's motives are, that's just wrong. So that no others like myself emerge and suffer my fate, I will correct my course and walk the path of a true hero!" Ida declared, his own convictions clear.

"Ida...!" Midoriya cheered.

"Class is about to start. Get to your seats!" Ida yelled loudly.

Halyn, smile on her face, turned to look at Todoroki, laughing lowly out of cheer at seeing their friend back to normal. Todoroki, small smile on his face, nodded in agreement to her her silent, "I'm glad he's back to normal". With that, Halyn slid off his desk, taking her own seat.

The first half of the day passed with ease. At least, for Halyn it did. When the afternoon classes rolled around, they reported to one of the training areas for combat training with All Might. While everyone else were dressed in their hero costumes, both Ida and Halyn were in their gym clothes.

"Where's your costume, Ha-chan?" Uraraka asked.

"It had to go out for some serious cleaning. After all the blood I lost from the stab wound, what was suppose to be blue on my costume, is now red." Halyn answered sheepishly. "It might be permanently stained, in which case, they'll have to replace it."

Todoroki turned to glance at her out of the side of his eyes. Unlike usual, Halyn had her gym jacket zipped up, hiding the scar on her side from view. After all the concern her classmates had shown, Halyn was probably going through great lengths not to let them see the scar just yet. It would only serve to freak her friends out even more.

Chatter was cut short when All Might arrived.

"I am here! And the reason for that is...your basic hero training! It's been a while, boys and girls! How is everyone?!" All Might asked.

"Not much of an entrance." Sato remarked.

"I'd expect more after a break." Ojiro agreed.

"Maybe he ran out of shticks?" Aoyama asked.

Halyn didn't see that being possible. All Might's supply of shticks was inexhaustible. It was rather exhausting just how inexhaustible it was. A play on words that she purposely chose to use.

"As an immediate follow-up to your internships, today's activity is a playful one. A rescue-training race!" All Might told them.

"Shouldn't rescue training be conducted at USJ?!" Ida asked, hand rocketing into the air.

"That place is for _disaster_ rescues in particular. But what did I say? That's right...race. This is Field Gamma. It's a dense spread of factories that wind together to create an intricate network of maze-like alleys! You'll split into four teams, three of five, one of six, with each team going one at a time! I'll send up a distress signal from somewhere inside, and you will all start at the border! It's a race to see who can reach and _rescue_ me first!" All Might exclaimed.

"Yes!"

Halyn cheered and everyone knew why. After seeing the way she moved during combat training and during the Sports Festival, everyone knew...this was Halyn's cup of tea. Anyone in her group would lose because she would take the gold, able to move across the area faster and easier than any of them could hope to. And the smile on the girl's face couldn't be brighter as her tail wiggled happily.

"Naturally," All Might said, continuing, his finger turning to point at Bakugo. "keep the destruction of property to a minimum!"

"Stop pointing at me." Bakugo grumbled.

But he didn't deny that he was the one usually destroying things.

After that, the first team was pulled together. It consisted of Midoriya, Ojiro, Ida, Mina, and Sero. Speaking in terms of mobility, all of them were pretty good. Midoriya had gotten better. Halyn had noticed that during the incident with Stain. That being said, while Midoriya could move better now, he still wasn't exactly use to it. If he wasn't careful, then he could misplace a foot and fall.

As All Might called the start, Halyn watched as her five friends started racing across the maze of factories. As she suspected, Midoriya flew across the roof tops, moving better than he had in the past. She realized, as she had before, that his new movements highly resembled Bakugo's and the fact wasn't lost on Bakugo, himself. It looked like it was working for him, but just as Halyn thought, he wasn't watching his feet.

With some of the pipes wet, Midoriya accidentally misplaced a foot, slipped, and went crashing down. In the end, Sero took first place while Midoriya couldn't help the thought that when his footholds were unstable, it paid to consider his landing before jumping.

What could she say...hind sight was twenty/twenty.

The next group consisted of Yoayorozu, Kirishima, Mineta, Sato, Asui, and Halyn. Halyn stretched, ready to get back into moving around after being forwards to basically sit back and rest. As she stretched her arms over her head, bending her back until she felt it pop, Todoroki turned to her.

"Be careful." he told her.

"Don't worry about me, Shoto. I'm all healed up and ready to go." Halyn assured him before hurrying off to her spot.

Halyn found herself on a roof top, her eyes scanning the layout of building in front of her. She could just make out Asui off to her left and Kirishima to her right. She was sure this was going to be a fun way to get her back into gear. She crouched on the edge of the roof, waiting for the signal. While her costume was out for a severe cleaning, she still had her belt with the wire attached knives, at her disposal. This was going to be a piece of cake.

The moment the signal went off, Halyn's eyes zeroed in on the spot where the signal came from. Without another thought, she jumped. Just as it had in all previous displays, her legs strength went a long way to rocketing her across the area. With the assist of her wires and knives, she flung herself across the area, bouncing from one spot to the next with a gleeful smile on her face.

Back with the other students, Todoroki smiled to himself. He was glad to see that she was in her usual high spirits. Watching her enjoy herself was nice. Especially when she smiled as gleefully as she was then, swinging from building to building.

"That's Ha-chan for you." Uraraka remarked.

"She's definitely taking the win." Kaminari said confidently.

As they watched, several of them hissed as Mineta tried to do to Halyn what he had done to Yoayorozu during the first part of the Sports Festival, only to get Halyn's boot to his face, sending him crashing to the ground below. Halyn carried on as if nothing had happened, zipping past Asui and Yoayorozu who were the only other two having an easy time moving about the rooftops. To be able to move so freely once more, Halyn got a little carried away and when she located All Might, reaching the man first, she jumped at him like a cat happy to see it's owner after a long time apart.

"I found you, All Might, sir!" she called joyfully, jumping at him.

All Might waved his arms in front of himself, trying to get her to stop, but she plowed right into him, knocking the overly muscled man off his feet. All of her classmates either winced, or stared in wide eyed surprise. Sometimes, Halyn could be a little too cat-like, though, in this case...it was a little more like a dog than a cat.

Halyn instantly realized what she did and jumped back from All Might, apologizing for going over board. Todoroki watched Halyn in amusement as she helped All Might to his feet, apologizing once more. She definitely never was boring to be around. Halyn smiled sheepishly as she, All Might, and the others in her group, rejoined the others.

"Sero and Leander, so far, have taken first place. I see many of you have figured out new and better ways to use your quirks since starting school!" All Might praised. "Keep up the good work as you prepare for your final exams!"

Halyn perked up. That was right, their final exams were approaching fast. While she wasn't worried for the written part of the exam, she couldn't help but wonder what they would have to do for the practical part of the exam. The thought remained with her as they finished up and went back to the locker rooms to change. She promised Todoroki to wait if she finished changing first and vanished into the girls' locker room. Todoroki followed the boys into the boys' locker room next door.

"After being away for so long, I worked up a sweat." Aoyama remarked as they changed.

"Man, I've really gotta work on my mobility. Leander kicked my butt today." Kirishima added.

"You'll just have to make up for it with reconnaissance. Leander is an expert in traversing over different terrains." Tokoyami told him.

"She's good at sneaking around too, so that's not going to help him much." Kaminari remarked as he changed. "We'll still fall behind at this rate. I'm jealous of you, Leander, and Sero."

Being jealous wouldn't get him anywhere, though. Some people's quirks were just made for mobility, and some weren't. Where Halyn was concerned, it was more along the lines of the environment that she had been raised in, mixed with her determination to improve her abilities outside of her quirk and that had taken years. Todoroki was sure that, no matter how hard and long the boys trained, they would never match up to Halyn because she would never stop doing the same.

"Hey, Midoriya! I just made the discovery of the century! Get over here!" Mineta suddenly called out, waving Midoriya over to where he had half way peeled a poster off the wall.

"Hm?" Midoriya hummed, turning to look.

"Lookit this hole!" Mineta said, pointing to a hole in the wall that had been covered by the poster. "Just like in _Shawshank_! Our predecessors must've worked real hard to make it! And next door is...you know what, right? **The girls' locker room!** "

By this point, Mineta had most of the boys' attention, the majority of them halting in their changing to look over at him. It took a moment for the meaning behind this discovery to sink into Todoroki's head. If Mineta could see into the girls' locker room...he could see Halyn undressing. The thought was all it took to make Todoroki displeased. Ida, though, jumped in first.

"Stop that, Mineta! Peeking is considered a major offense!" Ida scolded, but Mineta wasn't listening.

Ripping the poster the rest of the way off the wall, he drew an eye closer to the hole. He was practically salivating at the thought of what he would see.

"Yaoyorozu's booborozus! Ashido's sexy silhouette! Hagakure's floating panties! Uraraka's positively ooh la la body, Asui's surprisingly decent boobs, and Leander's hot feline physiq-"

Mineta was cut off as something shot out of the hole and hit him right in the eye, leaving him screaming.

"Jiro's Earphone Jack...its accuracy and stealth factor makes for a deadly combo!" Midoriya exclaimed.

On the other side of the wall, all of the girls were glaring at the hole, some of them holding up clothes to cover themselves. Halyn, who had been in her underwear, held her dress shirt to her chest, bending over to peer at the hole where Jiro's Earphone Jack vanished into the room beyond.

"Thanks, Kyoya." Toru said gratefully.

"How despicable! Let's plug that hole right up!" Yaoyorozu suggested.

"Here, help me." Halyn said, moving to the lockers just to the right of the hole.

Thankfully they weren't bolted down. With a little help from the other girls, they moved a few of the lockers over so that they covered the hole. With that done and the girls feeling safer, they finished changing. When Halyn stepped out of the girls' locker room, she found Todoroki waiting. He fell into step with her as she started back for the classroom.

"He didn't get the chance to see anything, did he?" Halyn asked.

"No. Was the hole dealt with?" Todoroki replied.

"Unless the little bug can figure out how to get past the lockers, yeah."

Halyn heaved a sigh. She remembered, all too clearly, how she had felt when Todoroki had walked in on her in the bathroom. She had been upset, but she liked Todoroki. She was not fond of Mineta, in the least. She wouldn't have been as easy going about it if Mineta had actually seen anything. As far as she was concerned, he deserved nearly having his eye poked out.

Aizawa was waiting for the class when they returned to the classroom. Once everyone was seated, he took a look at the planner in front of him before starting.

"Uh...summer vacation's close at hand. Of course, it would be completely irrational for all of you to take a whole month off." Aizawa started.

"Don't tell me..." Kaminari cut off.

"You'll be doing a summer training camp in the woods." Aizawa announced.

The classroom lit up with cheers about games of Truth or Dare, fireworks, curry, and, in the case of Mineta, bathhouses. Halyn wasn't sure how to feel about that. Fireworks, sure. She had done fireworks with her brothers before and she had played a few games of Truth or Dare, but what all of that had to do with summer break, she didn't know.

 _Must be a Japanese thing_ , she thought to herself.

"However," Aizawa said, pulling attention back to him. "Anyone who doesn't pass the upcoming final exams is in for summer school hell, right here."

Now, summer school was something that Halyn understood. She was pretty sure that that was a world wide concept and one that no kid liked. The news, though, left a majority of the class pumped and ready to go for the final exams. Halyn was a little excited too. She spent the rest of the day in that good mood, the mood carrying on into the next day.

Well...until just before lunch, that was.

Aizawa had just come into the room, taking over after Cemetoss had finished his lesson, when there was a knock on the door. Aizawa called out for the person to enter and the moment they did, Halyn, out of shock, froze.

The man that entered the room was one that appeared to be somewhere in his late twenties. He was a handsome young man with hair of a dark blue sleeked back on his head, cat ears matching his hair in color, the only thing to break the orderliness of his hair. He had a slender face with a slightly squared jaw line, was wearing a black, short sleeved turtle neck over jeans, and had a cat tail the same color as his hair, swishing behind him. As he entered the room, eyes of a vivid gold scanned the room before turning to Aizawa.

Behind Todoroki, Halyn lowly said, "Remus" in a surprised fashion.

The man at the front of the classroom, bowed politely to Aizawa in greeting, his expression remaining a serious one.

"Pardon my intrusion on your class, Eraserhead. My name is Leander Remus, I'm Halyn's oldest brother and her legal guardian." the man said, introducing himself.

All eyes turned to Halyn at the back of the classroom as she stared at her brother. Halyn didn't notice. She just couldn't figure out what her brother was doing there in her classroom, in Japan. Normally, he was far too busy to come pay her a visit out of the blue like that.

"Please excuse me, but I must speak with my sister." Remus said. "I have permission from the principal to pull her out of class and she will be back in time for her afternoon classes."

Aizawa took the note that Remus pulled out of his pocket, scanning it before turning to look at Halyn.

"Leander, you're excused." he told her.

Slowly, still not understanding what was going on, Halyn rose to her feet. She had a bad feeling that, one way or the other, she wasn't going to like the chat with her brother.

"Brother, if this is about the recent hospital visit, I can expla-"

"Halyn." Remus cut his sister off, turning to look at her with a serious expression that had her freezing on the spot. When Remus got serious, it was never good. "While we will speak about that at a later date, that is not why I'm here. Why I'm here is not a conversation we should have right here. Come, let's speak in private."

Those words, the look on his face...Halyn felt like the bottom of her stomach had just fallen out and the terror at the possibilities behind her brother's words, must have shown on her face, because worried looks passed around her classmates.

"The last time you said that, Mom..." Halyn jolted, concern now pounding through her. "The twins?! Maximus?!"

"Halyn," The look on Remus' face as he softly, but sternly, called her name, finally sunk it home for her friends that something bad had happened. "Not here. Come on."

Halyn hurried forward as her brother turned to leave the classroom. She paused for just a moment to bow to Aizawa and excuse herself before she flew out the classroom door behind her brother. Todoroki, as she had flown past him, had caught a glimpse at her expression and the horror he saw there, made it difficult for him to sit still. It was obvious that something bad had happened and it scared Halyn. He wanted to talk to her about it, but she didn't return before lunch.

It was half way through lunch before she showed up again, the girl walking through the lunchroom, head bowed. Seeing her approach the table she usually ate at with her friends, the girls were instantly on their feet. Halyn simply pulled out a chair and took a seat.

"Ha-chan?" Uraraka called softly.

"Your brothers, are they-"

Ida cut off when Halyn raised her head, giving them a sad smile. None of them knew whether or not they should be relieved or even more concerned.

"It was Maximus." she said finally.

Maximus...the youngest of her brothers and, from what she had said once, the most energetic and protective of her brothers.

"Is he alright?" Midoriya asked cautiously.

"I...I don't know. Maximus isn't usually reckless. He's energetic, sure, and he can be rowdy at times, but he's never reckless. Especially not when he's been called out to fight a villain. Only one thing could distract him so seriously." Halyn said.

"What?" Uraraka asked.

"Me."

Halyn heaved a sigh, letting her head hang once more. Her friends were confused on what this had to do with her brother's current state of health.

"Apparently, there was an out break of fights between two rival villain gangs in Venice. The agency my brothers co-own is near there. Maximus was the only one in the office when the call came in for assistance. He took a few of the agency's side-kicks with him and went to handle it. To his credit, he had been doing well and pretty much had the situation under control from what I was told. It was why he felt confident enough to let the sick-kicks take care of seeing the villains handed over into police custody and took a call from the twins. Word had just reached the two of them about the whole Hero Killer incident and the fact that I was in the hospital."

"Let me guess...the twins told Maximus and distracted him from his work." Uraraka said.

Halyn nodded in confirmation to her guess.

"And in his distracted moment, he didn't realize that they had missed two villains until they attacked him from behind. He was too distracted worrying about me." Halyn said, heaving a sigh. "Remus told me that the doctors said he's in critical condition and that the next forty-eight hours are crucial. The twins are with him and Remus came to check on me and tell me before I had the chance to learn about it from the media. He didn't want me to get overly concerned and worry when I have finals coming up."

"That's great and all, but, come on! What's exams compared to family?" Kirishima remarked.

"I said the same thing to Remus, but...he has a point."

All eyes turned to Halyn when she said this. She was staring down at her hands, her expression half hidden by her bangs.

"Are you crazy, Leander?!" Kirishima asked.

Halyn shook her head. When she raised her head, there was a smile on her face. It was still on the sad side, but it was a firm smile, as if she was forcing herself to smile and see the bright side in a situation that would of had someone else beginning to unravel at the seams.

"You don't get it, Kirishima. You don't know Maximus like I do. When I was little, before he left home to live in the school dorms, he was like my knight in shining armor. He was always there to protect me and would run the five miles from his school to mine, disobeying his teachers, if he so much as got whiff that something was wrong. He's even more stubborn than I am." Here Halyn laughed, her smile turning fond instead of sad. "I guess that was where I got it from. But he gives everything his all and doesn't give up, no matter what. There's a reason his hero name is Maximum Effort. Especially where I'm concerned, he's stubborn. He won't take another's word for it. Until he can see, with his own eyes, that I'm fine, he'll fight. I know he'll be fine. It just...It just shook me a little."

Todoroki, peering over at her expression, knew there was more to it than that. He knew her well enough by now to tell when she wasn't saying everything. Plus...the way her tail kind of sagged, was a dead give away that there was something else to it. But he didn't say anything. If she was holding it back, it was so that she didn't worry her friends.

Not feeling hungry, Halyn excused herself, claiming that she wanted to get a bit of fresh air before their afternoon classes started. Todoroki watched her walk away. Quickly, he finished his food and excused himself as well. Stopping by the vending machine, he took a look at what they had. He knew Halyn loved Italian sweets, but the machine didn't carry that. He would have to settle for a second best item. Picking a chocolate taiyaki, he went in search of Halyn.

Finding her actually turned out to be easy since he figured she would go to the most out of sight place she could find without getting very far from the building. He found her behind the school in a secluded area, sitting on a bench. She was staring at her hands as she fiddled with her phone and didn't even notice him as he approached her.

"You shouldn't skip meals."

Halyn jolted in surprise, turning to look up at him as he came closer.

"Oh, Shoto. You surprised me." she remarked, giving him the same forced smile he had seen earlier.

Todoroki took a seat next to her, holding out the taiyaki to her. Halyn blinked down at it in surprise before taking it from him. She didn't eat it though, just stared at it.

"It's chocolate. You said you liked sweets, right?" Todoroki said.

"I did, but...why, Shoto?" she asked.

"Like I said, you shouldn't skip meals. It only makes others worry more about you and if you don't eat, you could pass out during combat training." he told her.

Seeing his point, Halyn took a bite of the treat. The moment the sweet dough and chocolate hit her tongue, her stomach came back to life, growling in demand for more food. Halyn was able to keep herself from scarfing down the dessert, but it was still gone in just a few bites. When it was gone, she heaved a sigh, thanking him for it.

"I needed that more than I thought. Thank you, Shoto." she told him.

Todoroki looked at her. Even though she had ate the snack, she still seemed upset. He had a feeling that unless she talked about it, she would continue to carry on like this. She wouldn't let him dwell in all his muck, so he wouldn't let her do the same.

"What aren't you saying, Halyn?" he asked, flat out.

Halyn raised her eyes to look at him, surprise in their purple depths, but then she let out a little laugh. Giving her head a shake, she turned her attention back to her phone, which she had set down on the bench between them.

"This whole thing with Maximus, it's...kind of my fault." she said finally.

And there was the proverbial cat out of the bag.

"Halyn..."

"I know. It's not really my fault, but...that's how it feels. I thought I was doing my brothers a favor by not telling them when things like that happened, but obviously not. They're always so worried about me and I just...I didn't want them to worry. Instead, I made it worse and now Maximus is having to pay for that." Halyn said.

While she knew it wasn't exactly her fault, she couldn't help feeling responsible in a way. Remus knew how she felt too, and that was the reason he had come to Japan in person instead of calling her. He knew his sister well enough to know that if he had just called her, she would have hopped on the next plane back home, her final exams be damned. So he had been the one to board a plane. They all knew that their brother wouldn't want Halyn to risk her future as a hero just because he had gotten careless.

Todoroki was sure that Halyn's brother wouldn't want her feeling responsible, either. He was a grown man that didn't need his little sister trying to take responsibility for his screw ups. That being said, it was clear that Halyn, even knowing that it really wasn't her fault, still felt guilty. There was only one thing Todoroki could think of to say to her.

"If you feel guilty about it, then tell them for now on." he told her. Halyn raised her eyes to his face, staring at him, speechless. "Keeping it from them will only make them worry more. If you want them to see that you're capable of being here on your own, carving your own path, then stop keeping it from them."

For a moment, he wondered if he might have said something inconsiderate when all she did was stare at him. But then her smile returned, soft and tender as she looked at him.

"You're right." she said softly. "Hey, Shoto."

"Yeah?"

"I could really use a hug. Can I hug you?"

That was not what he was expecting her to request of him. In fact, he had never had anyone ask him for permission for them to hug him. Then again, growing up as he had, he hadn't really gotten hugs outside of the ones he had gotten from his mother before she was hospitalized. But this was Halyn, the girl that had allowed him to beat the crap out of her just so he could feel better. When she looked up at him with her big, pleading eyes, her tail idly curling around his wrist, he really just couldn't tell her no.

So he said yes.

Halyn all but sank into him, wrapping her arms around his chest as she leaned into his right side. Usually, his right side was always on the colder side, but her warmth seeped into him as he felt a sigh leave her. Unsure what to do, he settled for wrapping one arm around her. He felt awkward, but he could feel her tense shoulders relax as her head settled on his shoulder, so he didn't say anything.

For a moment, she stayed there, silently enjoying the coolness that came from his right side. Then she heaved a sigh and pulled back from him. The smile she gave him when he looked at her was her normal smiled, no longer forced.

"Thank you, Shoto."

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Halyn leaned in, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek before getting to her feet.

"We should get back before class starts." she told him.

Todoroki turned to watch her walk away, heat rising in his cheeks. One hand rose to his cheek to touch where her lips had brushed his skin. Just when he was sure she couldn't throw him any more surprises, she did just that. It seemed to be second nature for her to take him by surprise.

He was starting to wonder...would there ever come a day when he wasn't taken off guard by her?

END

Kyandi: Now that I think about it...that's twice I've teased my readers with almost kisses.

Halyn: I'll kiss him on the lips when and if I feel like it.

Kyandi: Amen, sister.

Halyn: Please don't say that.

Kyandi: Sorry. Anyhow, I'm keeping this short.

Halyn: You still have another chapter to edit, right?

Kyandi: Yes, I do. Everyone, enjoy and review. I'm also going to be working on Halyn's second costume design for after the training camp arc.

Halyn: Oh, fun. We'll return soon.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	16. Final Exams

Kyandi: Told you I'd be back soon.

Halyn: With a third chapter in a row.

Kyandi: And I'm working on the fourth chapter and your costume redesign.

Halyn: Busy, busy, busy...In a good way.

Kyandi: Yep! I won't keep you all long, so shall we get on with this?

Halyn: Sounds good to me.

Kyandi: Right! Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Kyandi: I think they're going to enjoy the next two chapters...

Chapter 16 Final Exams

That day, when class ended and they were dismissed to go home, Remus was there to pick up Halyn. Feeling better after talking with Todoroki, Halyn introduced her brother to each of her classmates. For the most part, Remus was polite and kind, though he was a little taken off guard when Midoriya begun his fanboy moment. Halyn took her brother through the whole class, coming to Todoroki last.

"Brother, this is Shoto. Todoroki Shoto." Halyn told her brother.

One of Remus' eyebrows twitched as his piercing, golden eyes locked in on Todoroki. Seeing the analyzing, sharp look her brother gave Todoroki, Halyn latched onto her brother's arm.

"Be nice, Remus." she pleaded.

"I'm going to be. I'm not the twins." Remus replied to his sister lowly before facing Todoroki once more. "So you're the one that tried to turn my sister into a piece of charcoal at the Sports Festival."

Halyn heaved a sigh, banging her forehead against her brother's arm. Remus ignored her, holding a hand out to Todoroki to shake.

"It's nice to meet someone who can rise to my sister's challenge and make her laugh so earnestly." Remus said, his expression softening.

Surprised, because he honestly thought Remus would try to rip him a new one even with Halyn standing there, Todoroki looked up at Remus, taking his hand in his. Remus gave his hand a shake.

"Thank the gods." Halyn said lowly.

"Now, as for this whole mess of burning my sister to the point of scarring during your internships..." Remus started.

"Remus!" Remus grunted, bending over to grab his shin after his sister hauled off and kicked it. "You are **not** going to guilt him with that. It was either him burn the wound close or I would have bled out. Hell's bells, Remus! You should be thanking him."

Remus rubbed his shin, the ears on his head pinned back to the back of his head as his tail hung. Heaving a sigh, he raised his head to look up at his sister who returned his look with a stern one.

"You aren't going to be mean to my friends." she told him sternly.

Remus straightened up to his full height, now looking down at his sister.

"If you had just given me a moment, Halyn, I was about to thank him." Remus told her.

Halyn's stern look broke, a sheepish one replacing it as she let out a small laugh.

"Oops...sorry, Remus. I love you." Halyn offered quickly, pressing her hands together before herself like she was asking for forgiveness.

"Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you get me mixed up with the twins on purpose." Remus muttered, dropping a large hand on his sister's head to pat it.

"Only sometimes."

Remus turned a sharp look on Halyn, but she simply smiled up at him brightly, her tail happily swaying from side to side. Heaving a sigh, he pet her head. To her classmates' surprise, a noise like that of a purr actually rose from Halyn's throat as her tail curled in contentment. Remus continued to pet her hair but turned his attention to Todoroki.

"Thank you for taking care of my sister. I cannot tell you how much my brothers and I have worried about her since she's moved here. It is comforting to know she has such a good friend looking after her. In fact," Remus turned to look at everyone. "She's told me about each and every one of you. Thank you for being such good friends."

Halyn smiled brightly when her classmates turned to look at her.

"Aw, it's nothin'." Mineta remarked from his seat.

Remus turned his eyes to the small boy. He looked down at his sister, pointing at Mineta with a questioning look on his face. As if she understood the look, Halyn nodded. Remus turned back to Mineta with a stern look on his face.

"You, I don't like." Remus told Mineta, making the boy's jaw drop. "We do not abide by perverts and were I my younger brothers, I would teach you a lesson in proper manners. But I am not and despite your obvious lack of respect for your female classmates...my sister still counts you as a friend. Count yourself very lucky. I suggest all of you boys take this to heart and don't copy him."

Mineta, terrified, shifted his eyes to Halyn, just like the rest of the classmates. The girl was still basking in the affection given to her by her brother, smiling happy as if completely oblivious to the warning her brother had just given her males classmates. Remus turned to his sister then.

"Now, are you ready to go?" he asked. "I was thinking we could visit your favorite restaurant."

"Sounds great!" Halyn said.

Remus' expression softened as he looked down at his sister's smile. Todoroki watched it all from behind her, noting that Remus seemed to be just as calmed by Halyn's smile as he was at times. Then there was the look in Remus' eyes. It was as if the man was silently saying how glad he was that she could keep her smile during this difficult time.

"Would you like to bring some friends?" Remus offered his sister lowly.

"Can I?" Halyn asked.

"Sure." Remus said before leaning down to whisper into her ear. "Girls only."

"Oh, you're no fun." Halyn told him.

"I'm your big brother. I don't have to be fun. Get a move on." Remus told her, giving her a nudge.

Halyn, a fake pout on her face, made a face at him and moved to do as told, giving Todoroki a smile over her shoulder before she hurried to catch the girls before they could leave the classroom. Remus grabbed her bag off her desk and moved to follow her. He stopped, for a moment, reaching out to lay a hand on Todoroki's shoulder. When Todoroki looked up at him, he gave him a smile much like his sister's.

"Seriously...thank you."

With a pat on Todoroki's shoulder, Remus followed his sister, and her female classmates, out the door. Halyn paused in the doorway long enough to wave to Todoroki before she was gone. He honestly didn't need Remus to thank him. As long as she needed it, he would help Halyn.

That was what friends did, right?

-0-0-0-0-

Over the next handful of days, Halyn and Remus finally heard news on Maximus' condition and were relieved to hear that, with time, rest, and care, their youngest brother would be back to himself and back to work. Halyn got the call during break at school and practically melted into her seat when she heard. For the next three days, the girl had been excused from school to make a quick trip back home in order to see Maximus and to assure the young man that she was alive and well and he didn't need to worry about her.

When she returned home, it was alone, Remus staying in Italy to look after his brother as he was discharged from the hospital. Assured that her brother would be fine, life for Halyn returned to normal. To celebrate the good news, when she returned from Italy, Todoroki chose a night when his father wouldn't be home for dinner, and had Halyn come over. Fuyumi was over joyed to have Halyn over again and Todoroki was confronted, once again, with the fact that Halyn got along well with his sister.

That being said, he was just glad to see Halyn smile again.

Then came the final week before the final exams, the final week of June.

" **I DIDN'T STUDY AT ALL!** "

Halyn looked up from her desk as Kaminari yelled this, his hands ruffling his hair. All the while, Mina, who hadn't studied either, just laughed. Halyn didn't see why though. At the results of the midterm exams, Kaminari had taken last place in the exams, while Mina had taken the second to last spot.

"Between the Sports Festival and the internship, it totally slipped my mind!" Kaminari added.

"Indeed." Tokoyami, who had taken fifteenth out of twenty-one, agreed.

"Midterms were, well...we haven't covered much since starting school, so they weren't all that tough. But now we've had all these other events...I think the finals're gonna be much harder." Sato told Koda.

During midterms, Sato had taken thirteenth while Koda had taken twelfth.

"Sucks that there's gonna be a practical exam too." Mineta remarked.

Halyn looked over at him, shaking her head.

"Did you stop to think, Mineta, that with a practical exam, you might not be so fortunate enough to take tenth place this time?" Halyn asked.

Hearing this, Mina and Kaminari turned on Mineta.

"We thought you were one of us!" Mina yelled.

"Guys like you are only lovable when you're morons! There's just no demand for whatever you actually are!" Kaminari added.

They weren't wrong, but that didn't mean they had to say it out loud.

"Ashido, Kaminari! Let's try the best we can! It'd be great if we can all go to the training camp! Right?" Midoriya asked.

"Yes!" Ida replied.

"Haven't you been attending class? How could you possibly fail?" Todoroki asked.

Halyn was sure Kaminari and Mina didn't want to hear this from the three of them. At midterms, Midoriya had taken fifth place, Ida second, and Todoroki sixth. Coming from three who had done so well on the exams, it would probably just hurt.

"You two, if it's academics you need help with, I could lend a hand." Yaoyorozu offered.

Coming from the person that took first in the class, the offer was well received. Where a few subjects were concerned, even Halyn would have taken the offer.

"I can help you with your English and Social Studies." Halyn offered from her seat.

Instantly Mina was at her desk side, taking her hands in hers while she jumped for joy. While Halyn had taken third in the over all class, she had come out on top with the highest scores in English and Social Studies. Probably because, next to her native tongue of Italian, English was almost second nature to her and two of her brothers were big history nerds.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Mina cheered.

"No problem, but any of you with trouble in math or Japanese will most definitely benefit more from going to Momo. She rocks at that." Halyn said.

Momo smiled brightly at her. With it set for Momo to teach her study group over the weekend and Halyn to teach hers every night starting the following day, the class headed off for lunch. Halyn found herself sitting next to Todoroki, the two trading parts of their lunches they didn't like. Of course, as he always did now, Todoroki gave Halyn his dessert, making the girl smile brightly at him.

"The academic tests'll just draw from what we learned in class. That's manageable." Midoriya said, as they all started eating. "But the practical? That's scarier, since we have no idea how it'll go."

"I can't imagine it will consist of anything particularly unusual." Ida told him.

"Have you seen our lives lately?" Halyn asked, reaching out to snag a bite of Todoroki's soba. Something he let slide. "There is nothing usual or unusual about it. And with that being said, after everything that's happened, involving members of our class, who knows what it'll be. They might decided to push our limits, test us hard, just for the sake of it all."

"That's even scarier of a thought." Midoriya told her.

"Well, with everything that's been going on, I wouldn't put it past the teachers to be thinking that. Better to be prepared, you know." Halyn replied, ignoring it when Todoroki snatched a bite of her food as well.

"So," Uraraka said, changing the subject slightly. "About the academic subjects being _manageable_..."

"It's probably just a comprehensive test of everything from the first semester." Toru remarked.

"That's all Aizawa-sensei has told us." Asui agreed.

"There was battle training, rescue training and basic training, right?" Uraraka asked.

"About right." Halyn confirmed.

"So in addition to our usual studies, we've got to keep in tip-top physical sh...ouch!"

Halyn turned when Midoriya suddenly cut off and cried out in pain. She had thought that maybe he had done something to hurt himself, but then she spotted Monoma behind Midoriya and quickly put two and two together.

"Ah, sorry. My tray just couldn't get around that big head of yours." Monoma sneered.

"Uh...you're Monoma from Class B, right? How dare you!" Ida scolded.

"I hear you guys ran into the Hero Killer. I guess the Sports Festival wasn't enough. You just keep getting attention with one stunt after another, huh, Class A? But now it's looking like that attention isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's starting to get dangerous, right? Pretty scary! I'm just worried that, one of these days, we're all gonna get caught up in some of your antics! Scary...gah!"

Monoma, thankfully, was cut off when Kendo came up behind him, taking his tray out of his hands before karate chopping him in the neck to knock him out.

"That's not funny. Didn't you hear what happened to Ida? And how Halyn could have died?" Kendo demanded, catching him by the back of his shirt as he collapsed.

"Oh...hey, Itsuka." Halyn called, smiling in greeting.

Kendo greeted Halyn with a smile and a wave, showing that the two were on good terms with each other. Something that didn't surprise Todoroki. Halyn was good about befriending people.

"Sorry, Class A. This guy, his heart's just, well..." Kendo looked down at Monoma as she sat his tray down on a table. "I over heard you guys saying you're not sure about the practical exam. Between you and me, I hear it'll be a battle against robots, like in the entrance exam."

"Huh?! Really?! How d'you know that?!" Midoriya asked.

"I know an older student, who told me. It's a little unfair, I know." Kendo replied.

"Not unfair at all! Preliminary intel gathering is just one aspect of the exam. Of course...why not just ask second or third years? Why didn't I think of that?"

Kendo stared at Midoriya as he begun to mutter to himself, a questioning and slightly creeped out look on her face.

"Don't mind him, Itsuka. He does that a lot." Halyn told her.

Kendo looked over at Halyn, who was paying more attention to an intense battle of chopsticks she was engaged in with Todoroki. Apparently the two were fighting over the last piece of tempura from Halyn's lunch. At the moment, Halyn was winning, but Todoroki wasn't giving up. Finally, Halyn managed to pinch the back of his hand with her chopsticks, making him pull his hand back long enough for her to snatch the tempura and pop it into her mouth. Her tail swayed happily as she smiled at Todoroki victoriously.

"Kendo, you fool." Monoma had regained conscious, though he was still hanging from her grip, limp as a rag doll. "We finally had an intel advantage over them! This was our chance to show up the detestable Class A..."

"They're not detestable." Kendo told him, knocking him out one more and dragging him away.

"See you later, Itsuka." Halyn called after her, Kendo waving back.

After lunch, they reported the information to the rest of their classmates. It brought relief to some of their classmates to know that it was just robots, something they had taken on and beaten before, but Halyn wasn't convinced that that was all there was going to be to the practical exam. It honestly couldn't be that easy, and she voiced the concern to her classmates.

"You're just looking for the bad in the situation. A natural reflex after all we have been through since the start of the semester." Ida told her.

"I hope you're right. I'd hate to fail the practical because I didn't consider all the possibilities." Halyn replied, heaving a sigh.

She really hoped she was just being a little paranoid and the practical wasn't more than it seemed. But, of course, they couldn't finish the conversation before Bakugo was calling out both Midoriya and Todoroki, issuing a declaration of war. It had Halyn heaving a sigh from her desk, making Todoroki turn to look at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing. I was just wondering if there would ever come a time when the three of you don't end up challenging each other." Halyn remarked, waving it off. "Anyway, I cleared tonight of study buddies. You want to come over and study with me, Shoto?"

"Sure." Todoroki agreed, watching as a smile lit up her face.

"Awesome! I'll make us dinner." Halyn told him.

Just thinking of it made his mouth water. Halyn was a great cook and her soba was the best he'd ever tasted. Seeing the look on his face, some of their classmates had to jump into the conversation.

"Is Ha-chan's cooking really that good to make you have that look?" Mina asked, peering up at Todoroki's face.

"When would you have had the chance to taste her cooking, man?!" Kaminari demanded.

"During our internships. We did intern with the same hero." Halyn told them.

"Seriously! You lucky dog!" Kaminari complained.

"Speaking of which..." Uraraka started, looking from Halyn to Todoroki. "You two seem closer than you were before the internships. Did something happen with the two of you?"

Halyn and Todoroki both thought about it and, instantly, their minds went to the whole incident with the bathroom. Right before everyone's eyes, Halyn's face went blood red, her tail frizzling out. Had it been an anime, they would have watching a frizzle travel up her body until her hair puffed out and steam blew out of her head. Todoroki, on the other hand, looked away from everyone, trying not to meet anyone's eyes.

"Nope! Nothing at all! Right, Shoto?"

Even though she put a smile on her face and laughed it away, they all knew...she was totally lying.

Before anyone could question her further, she jumped up, grabbing her bag in one hand and Todoroki's wrist in the other.

"If we're going to study we better get going!" she said quickly, hurrying out of the room, dragging Todoroki behind her.

Something definitely happened, but neither were speaking. It only made her friends more determined to figure it out.

Before they could do that, though, they needed to pass their exams.

-0-0-0-0-

"Worried about a villain revival...?"

The day found many of the UA staff gathered in a conference room to discuss the practical exam for the first years' final exams.

"Of course, we hope to prevent such a movement before it takes hold, but as a school, we have to take all necessary precautions. It's not unreasonable to imagine that counter-villain battles in our current society will intensify considerably." Aizawa said.

"That means battlin' against robots ain't all that practical." Snipe remarked.

"To begin with, the robots were conceived of as a means to avoid claims and suspicions that people were being harmed in our entrance exams." Nezu explained.

"Is that all? What a waste. Why not just ignore the complaints?" Aizawa demanded, but Nezu ignored it.

"From now on, we'll focus on battles against flesh-and-blood opponents. It is critical that our teaching simulates practical experience as closely as possible! As such...the students will be fighting one of you teachers." Nezu said.

Nezu left the explanation of the exam up to Aizawa. Basically, it was going to be two students paired up to face off against one of the teachers. They would get thirty minutes to either escape the area or put cuffs on the teacher. The teachers to act as the obstacle between them and their goal.

"As for the teams," Aizawa said, looking down at the paper in his hands. "First we have Ashido and Kaminari. For better or worse, they're single-minded and action-oriented. Principal, please use your intelligence to put them in their place."

"Okay." Nezu agreed.

"Todoroki...an exceptional fighter in every way, though he doesn't like to unleash all his power into single attacks. Recently, he's begun to work remarkably well with Leander, the two having bonded after the Sports Festival. Which is why I will not pair them for this. Then we have Yoayorozu. She may be a genius, but she falters when deciding and acting in the moment. As such... _I_ will erase their quirks and exploit their weaknesses in close combat." Aizawa added.

"No objections!" Nezu agreed.

"Next is Midoriya and Bakugo...I'll leave them to you, All Might." Aizawa said, surprising All Might. "I'm not teaming them up based on abilities or grades. It's only because they're on such bad terms! We know you're a fan of Midoriya's, so guide him as you best see fit."

As usual, nothing got past Aizawa. Aizawa continued through each pair of students until he came to the last, lone student of the bunch. The man heaved a sigh when he came to the last name on his list, reaching up to rub at the bridge of his nose.

"Then there's Leander..." Aizawa continued to rub at the bridge of his nose.

"Is she that troublin'?" Snipe asked.

"The thing about Leander is, due to past experience, the girl has trained herself well. She excels at both close quarter combat and mid-range combat. She's clever, observant, patient, and has extraordinarily good reflexes. She doesn't rely on her quirk to secure a fight. In fact, she'll go a whole fight without ever once using it, and, as we all saw at the Sports Festival, she has a rare and exceptional quirk that she is fully capable of using. Because of it, no one knows what quirks she could currently be in possession of." Aizawa remarked. "She's an exceptional fighter and one with very few weaknesses."

"Seeing what she went through as a child, I'm not surprised she went to great lengths to assure it never happened again." Midnight remarked.

"And from what I've seen of her costume stats...you never know what she'll pull out of one of those pockets on the inside of her hoodie. She put considerable thought into her costume." Power Loader said from his seat.

"That being said, she has one big weakness. It's idiotic and comical, but it's something she's scared of." Aizawa said.

"Really? I didn't know that Leander had any fears." All Might remarked.

"She does. It's...dogs."

All eyes in the room instantly turned to Hound Dog, the teachers finally understanding why Aizawa had called in the guidance counselor.

"I've seen her pass Hound Dog in the halls before. She skirts him like she believes he's the plague." Aizawa added.

It wasn't so great of thing for Hound Dog, who took no joy in scaring any of the students, but it was something they could exploit on someone who usually went to great lengths to hide any and all weaknesses she could possess.

"As for her partner...Leander gets along with just about every student in the class. She's cool headed and patient, though I believe Hound Dog could break that. There is one person in the class I've yet to see her really interact with outside of teasing comments now and then." Aizawa continued. "And considering his hot temper, it'll be a good match for this. So I'm pairing Leander with Bakugo. Hound Dog...teach them well."

Hound Dog nodded. Breaking Halyn's cool would be key to seeing how she and Bakugo would work together when he was losing his temper and she wasn't able to pull it together enough to keep a leash on it.

They would see how she would handle it.

-0-0-0-0-

After working in all the studying she possibly could, Halyn was pleased to say that the written exam didn't really pose her any troubles. For the most part, it seemed everyone was pretty confident in their written exams and that was a good thing, but now came the practical exam. The day of the practical, they all changed into their hero costumes, Halyn still bearing bandages on her side, and stood before eleven of UA's staff.

"Let's begin your practical exam. It is, of course, possible to fail this exam. If you want to attend the training camp, then don't mess this up." Aizawa told them. "Knowing you guys, you probably asked around and you might think you have a **vague** idea of how this'll go."

"It's a robot rumble, like the entrance exam!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"Fireworks! Curry! Truth or Dare!" Mina added in a cheer.

"Not quite!" Halyn blinked, her head tilting to one side as Principal Nezu popped up out of the back of Aizawa's scarf. "Various circumstances have demanded a revision to the exam format!"

Principal Nezu explained to them how, given the recent attacks on their class and everything the students of Class A had been through, the teachers had decided that it would be best to change things up and give them a little bit more difficult of a task to fulfill. As such, for their practical...they would be fighting the teachers.

Silence stretched over the students before, one by one, they all turned to look at Halyn, who was smiling in a I-told-you-so kind of way, her tail squirming behind her.

"Damn...she was right." Kirishima remarked.

All of the teachers turned to look at Halyn who grinned widely, flashing sharpened incisors. Turning to look at her classmates, she held up a finger, like she was about to drive home a point.

"I told all of you...you have to be prepared for all possibilities. Good thing, I came prepared." Halyn said, giving her classmates a wink.

While the teachers didn't know exactly what she meant by that, they had a good guess and it wasn't good. For them, at least. Given how Halyn had grown up, Aizawa had figured she would question any intel her class could dig up, and would prepare for anything just in case.

That clever little brain of hers would save her life one day.

"Your pairings and assigned teacher have already been decided. Your battle moves, your grades, your friendships with one another...all these factors and more were considered. Of course, because there's an odd number of you, one of you will have to go twice. No worries, we'll use your best score, so without further ado...First, Todoroki is with Yoayorozu." Both looked up when Aizawa called them. "Against me."

Halyn inwardly groaned for the two, but she wished them both the best of luck, giving them a wide smile.

"Next, Leander..." Halyn looked up when Aizawa called her. "Is with Bakugo...against Hound Dog."

Halyn's back went straight as a board as her eyes traveled over to the school's Lifestyle Guidance Counselor, Hound Dog. Her classmates watched as, when her eyes landed on the dog-like man, Halyn's tail went straight as a pole, the hair frizzling out. It was almost like a cat freezing up at the sight of a dog.

"Problem, Leander?" Aizawa asked.

"Nope! None!" Halyn replied instantly, snapping her eyes away from Hound Dog.

Aizawa eyed her. Given just how cat-like she was, he had figured that pairing her up against someone like Hound Dog, who had all the same senses as Halyn did, would be just right. Seeing how she had acted at the sight of Hound Dog, he figured he had hit the nail on the head and Halyn didn't like dogs.

"Next, Midoriya...will also be with Bakugo. We'll give you a break between each exam." Aizawa said. "And your opponent..."

"Will be me!" Midoriya and Bakugo, who had been shocked by being paired together, turned when someone stepped in, cutting off Aizawa. Their eyes widened when they were confronted with All Might. "You'll have to work together to win, so come at me, you two!"

Aizawa finished listing off the pairs. It was Mina and Kaminari against Principal Nezu, Uraraka and Aoyama verse Thirteen, Koda and Jiro against Present Mic, Asui and Tokoyami verse Ectoplasm, Mineta and Sero against Midnight, Toru and Shoji verses Snipe, Sato and Kirishima against Cemetoss, and Ida and Ojiro against Power Loader.

"Ten stages have been prepared, and all but two teams, will begin simultaneously. The test guidelines will be explained by your respective opponents. None of the areas are outside the school grounds, but let's not waste any more time. Get going." Aizawa told them.

In order to accommodate the fact that Bakugo had to take part in two separate exams, the first one, which was him and Halyn against Hound Dog, would take place in the unused forested area nearest to the school. That way, he could be healed of any injuries by Recovery Girl, before heading out with Midoriya to face All Might.

When they were sent out into the forest ahead of Hound Dog, Halyn couldn't move fast enough, her tail still puffed out to twice its normal size. She was obviously already rattled and that would come in handy for testing her when Hound Dog came face to face with her. She would have to confront her fear in order to confront him.

There was only one problem.

If only Aizawa had realized just _how clever_ Halyn could be.

END

Kyandi: Honestly, after being deceived by Aizawa once already, of course you aren't going to be easily taken off guard.

Halyn: The teachers are pretty clever, though.

Kyandi: Just not clever enough for you.

Halyn: I have my moments.

Kyandi: Wait until they find out just how clever you are.

Halyn: A cat always trusts their instincts and are sly creatures. My brothers taught me well.

Kyandi: That they did. Anyway, I have to finish the next chapter and your redesign.

Halyn: So we need to wrap this up?

Kyandi: Yep. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	17. Stinking Up The Place

Kyandi: Hey, everyone. Guess who's back because she didn't realize she actually had four new chapters written out, instead of three.

Halyn: This awkward fanfiction writer.

Kyandi: The one and the same. So...yeah. Sorry about that, everyone!

Halyn: At least you caught it before the day was over.

Kyandi: Yeah, there's that.

Halyn: Then let's jump on in!

Kyandi: Right! Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Kyandi: Also, sorry that this chapter is a little on the shorter side.

Chapter 17 Stinking Up The Place

"Bakugo."

"Just shut up."

"Bakugo."

"I said shut up already!"

A frown fell on Halyn's face as she ran after Bakugo. She knew, from the moment she had heard that she would be paired with him, that she would have a hard time getting him to listen to a single thing she said and to get him to work with her. Then add in the fact that they had been pitted against Hound Dog...

A shiver ran up Halyn's spine. While she wasn't really afraid of _dogs_ , per say, she wasn't a big fan of large dogs. But there was a big difference between big dogs and someone like Hound Dog who just had a dog-like quirk.

Whether or not her dislike of big dogs was a cat thing, she didn't know.

Right now, she had other things to worry about.

Right now, Halyn was going to have to do something drastic to get her knuckle head of a partner to actually listen to her.

Reaching back to the back of her belt, Halyn pulled one of the knives off her belt that had the wire attached to the end. With an extra kick in her step, she bolted forward, throwing the knife.

"Listen to me, damn it!"

Bakugo's eyes widened as the knife flew past him. With a yank on the wire, Halyn made the knife swing around him, wrapping the wire around him a few time before he could escape it. His reflexes were fast, but hers were faster.. Next thing he knew, Halyn crashed into him from behind, knocking him forward onto his face. Halyn landed on his back, straddling him as she sat up.

"What the hell!?" Bakugo yelled, glaring over his shoulder at her.

"You're going to listen to me, or so help me, I _**will**_ make you fail. Got me?" Halyn said, putting her foot down.

Bakugo glared at her. He didn't associate with Halyn, not really, but he knew, looking into her fierce, purple eyes, that she wasn't joking. If he didn't listen to her, take her seriously, then she would make him fail. Not that he really had a choice. She had him pinned where he couldn't reach her with his hands without hurting himself in the process.

"Well? You're answer?" she demanded.

"Argh...fine! Get on with it!" he snapped.

"Good. Now you've got to stop and think, Bakugo. While you're clever and you're usual style works great, we're going up against someone that's hard to get a drop on. He has the sense of smell of a tracking hound. You'll never get close enough with the wind we have today, without him smelling you." Halyn told him. "And then what would you do?"

Bakugo stared at her. He wouldn't admit it out loud...but he kind of saw her point. Hound Dog was more experienced, faster, and bigger. Halyn didn't need for him to admit it though. She already knew that he had pretty much planned to go head and head with Hound Dog and not consider her help at all.

"Not to mention, we're being graded on teamwork. Don't put it past Aizawa-sensei and the other teachers to flunk us because you don't like to work with others." she added. "Normally, your way of fighting has its perks, don't get me wrong, and I won't deny that it normally gets you results, but this is a different kind of opponent. The one time we fought, you had a little difficulty with me."

"I didn't-"

"Just listen." Halyn cut him off. "If you had even the tiniest bit of difficulty with me, then you're really going to have it with him. I'm agile and fast with the assistance of my wires. He's that way on his own. If it came down to head on confrontation and he managed to get past your blast, can you really say you could face off against a seasoned pro? You got to think these things through! His nose is going to give us enough problems. Just give my way a try and if it doesn't work, we'll do it your way, just as long as we do it together."

As she said this, she climbed off him, tugging on her wire to release him. Bakugo sat up, surging forward to grab her by the front of her hoodie. Halyn didn't even flinch.

"All of what I just said, though, is normally speaking." Halyn said.

"What the hell are you going on about?!" Bakugo demanded.

"Normally, against an opponent with a nose like Hound Dog-sensei, it would be extremely difficult to get close without him knowing. No offense to you, Ka-chan, but since your quirk relies on your sweat...you stink." Halyn noted the popping of a vein in his temple, but carried on. "Lucky for you, you have me and I prepared for something this long before I started attending the school."

Bakugo arched an eyebrow in confusion. Halyn dug inside her hoodie, pulling something out of one of the pockets. Holding it out, she let Bakugo get a look at it. It only took him a moment to realize what it was, then a huge smirk curled his lips as he released her. Halyn held the thing up in front of her.

"I'm not saying you can't go at this straight forward like you want to, Ka-chan. I'm only suggesting you use what you have at your disposal...use **me** , Ka-chan." she suggested.

As he finally came to understand what she was suggesting, Halyn knew she had him on board. At least for now. She wasn't telling him to change how he fought, merely to use her to better his chances. Bakugo grinned as he looked back at Halyn, silently admitting to himself that the girl just might be smart after all. Now that he was intrigued, he was willing, for now, to listen to what she had to suggest.

"What's cookin' in that brain of your's?" he demanded.

Halyn grinned in reply. Now that she had Bakugo's attention and had managed to twist it so he was more accepting of her plan, she just had to word her plan just right so he would agree. If she could make him believe he was the one in charge and calling the shots, then they would pass for sure.

Sometimes it paid to be sly.

-0-0-0-0-

Where did the two run off to?

The thought was what passed through Hound Dog's head as he continued to follow their scent trail through the trees. There had come a point, just a little ways back, where the two had gone their separate ways. According to what Aizawa had told him, Bakugo wasn't one to work with others, even if the other person was open to help, like Halyn was. When faced with a choice on which student he should go after first, he had chosen Halyn.

With how clever Aizawa made her out to be, it would be best to take her down first. So, right now, he was tracking her. The girl moved quickly, obviously trying to keep from running into him. Then, her scent started getting stronger. Hiding in the bushes, he finally spotted her. The girl was crouched on the ground, trying to catch her breath. He moved, closing in on her. Hound Dog wasn't sure what alerted her to his presence, but she suddenly whipped around.

Spotting him right as he jumped for her, Halyn jumped for a tree branch, landing easily. When she looked down at him, she did the most cat-like thing he had ever seen. Arching her back, she hissed at him, baring her sharpened incisors at him, her tail puffed up, before she turned and begun leaping through the tress.

She really didn't like big dogs.

Hound Dog charged after her, following her as she traveled through the trees. From his view point, it looked like the girl was running scared, doing everything just to stay out of his reach. Back at the command center where Recovery Girl was watching the monitors, to Midoriya, who was waiting there with All Might, it looked like something completely different.

"Her expression." Midoriya said, looking at a screen that showed Halyn's face as she flew past the camera. "She's planning something."

All Might and Recovery Girl watched, waiting until Halyn flew past another camera. Sure enough, instead of appearing scared or panicked, as she had when Hound Dog had first found her, her expression was composed, calculating. Halyn had some plan up her sleeve and Hound Dog was going to be on the receiving end of it. All Might could tell that by the expression on her face. Halyn was watching, waiting for something, her brain racing with ideas.

"Aizawa said she was afraid of dogs." All Might remarked.

"Afraid of dogs? I don't think so. When we were in the hospital after the fight with the Hero Killer, the police chief that came to speak to us, looked like a dog. Ha-chan never reacted with fear or even unease." Midoriya told him. "More than likely...she falsified that in order to give you and the other teachers false intel about her."

All Might couldn't believe it. While Halyn was, indeed, clever, could she really be that clever? His question was somewhat answered when, on the screen, Halyn finally stopped running, turning as she pulled something out of her hoodie. He only caught a glimpse of it before she threw it, the explosive going off right in front of Hound Dog's face. For a moment, they only saw smoke before Hound Dog stumbled out, gripping a hand to his mask, gagging like he had just caught a whiff of the most foul smelling scent in the world.

"Did she just...?"

"A stink bomb! Genius!" Midoriya cheered when All Might trailed off.

Of all the things Halyn could carry on her, she actually had something like that!

Back out in the forest, Halyn, a pair of nose plugs now clamped around her nose, peered through the smoke as Hound Dog howled at the nasty scent that burned the inside of his sensitive nose. She had only tested one of the stink bombs she had requested be included in her hoodie and she knew, from experience, just how bad it was. With Hound Dog's nose being sharper than her own, it had to be five times worse.

She would have to apologize to him later.

For now, she had to focus.

"Now, Ka-chan!" she called.

Blinded by the tears that had started streaming from his eyes, Hound Dog didn't see Bakugo, let along smell him, until the boy hit hard from one side. Hound Dog was sent stumbling back, reeling from the hit, only to be confronted with the protection covered shin of Halyn as she kicked him across the face.

"Ka-chan!"

Halyn jumped back as Hound Dog swiped at her, trying to grab her. Instead, Bakugo hit him again, knocking him forward and into another kick from Halyn. The smoke and smell from the stink bomb was starting to fade, but now Hound Dog was reeling for other reasons. Aizawa had warned him about the destructiveness of both Bakugo's quirk and Halyn's kicks. He just hadn't expected Halyn's kicked to pack so much power.

And then there was the way the two were moving.

Aizawa had said that Bakugo would never work with his partner, that he had a problem with working with others, but the way they moved, it looked like the two were getting along just fine. Then again, that could also be the work of Halyn. She did seem to get along well with others.

"Ka-chan!"

"I got it already, Leander! Shut up!" Bakugo snapped when Halyn called his name as she jumped free of Hound Dog.

"Then you shouldn't be so slow, Ka-chan." Halyn told him, just as he laid a hand on Hound Dog.

" **What the fuck did you just say?!** "

Halyn whistled lowly in sympathy as Bakugo's next attack went off, the explosion so big, it completely knocked Hound Dog out. When Bakugo turned on her, his face twisted in anger, she grinned at him widely.

"I said you're an excellent partner, Ka-chan." she told him before holding up the cuffs each pair of students had been give. "Shall we cuff him now?"

With that, Bakugo and Halyn, with little over half their given time left, finished their exam and reported to the command room where All Might and Midoriya waited with Recovery Girl. Since Bakugo hadn't been injured in anyway, Recovery Girl cleared him for his next exam. They left Halyn with Recovery Girl and headed out.

"Come, sit." Recovery Girl called to her, gesturing to the extra chair.

Halyn took a seat, turning to look up at the screens. In order to set a timer for most of the exams, hers had taken place first. Once Bakugo and Midoriya were in place, the rest of the exams would start. When they did start, Halyn's eyes darted from screen to screen, watching as her friends fought to pass their exams.

"Hm...I'll be working hard today, I expect." Recovery Girl remarked.

"Do you really think so, ma'am?" Halyn asked. "Ka-chan and I got out of ours with no really bad injuries, just a bruise or two."

"Yes, well...not all of your classmates have the equipment that you, yourself, have access to." Recovery Girl told her.

Halyn grinned, her tail curling happy to show that she took that as a compliment.

"I put a lot of thought into my costume." Halyn admitted.

Recovery Girl had no doubt about that. With that said, Halyn turned back to watch the screens. Silently, the two females watched the screen as some of the pairs chose to run for it. Regardless what they chose, most of them showed a good ability to communicate with each other. Of course, there was one pair that wasn't having much luck with each other.

"Ka-chan certainly doesn't like Deku." Halyn remarked.

"No, he doesn't." Recovery Girl agreed.

"Not for the lack of trying on Deku's behalf. Ka-chan just doesn't understand that communication is key here. He gets worked up and prideful and doesn't listen to others when it really matters. It's not that he isn't smart, he really is, but he lets his temper decide for him and is all action." Halyn remarked, heaving a sigh. "I mean, I get it. I get why he's always so worked up where Deku is concerned."

"Oh? You do?" Recovery Girl asked, curious as she looked at Halyn who was staring at the screen.

"From what I heard, Deku didn't display a quirk until he enrolled here. For their whole lives, Ka-chan was the one on top. Because of his quirk and the strength it gave him, he was fawned over and it kind of went to his head. He was always the best. Then the two get to UA and, suddenly, Deku to flying ahead of him, while his progress is slow and painful. He feels like a gap is opening between him and Deku, and Deku is the one pulling ahead. He's not realizing that it's a lot easier to level up when you're starting from the beginning, like Deku is." Halyn said.

"He told you this?" Recovery Girl asked.

"No. Gods, no. Ka-chan would never admit to any of this." Halyn said, shaking her head. "But, because of my quirk, I make it a point to watch people, study them quietly from the background. To me, Ka-chan's jealousy and feelings toward Deku, are obvious. Because of those, and because of Deku's own conflicting feelings towards Ka-chan, the two clash. They're constantly on different wave lengths and it difficult for them to match them. Then again, Ka-chan seems to function on a wave length different from everyone's. It makes him a tricky person to approach."

"Then how were you able to work with him?" Recovery Girl asked.

"It might not be fully, but, on some level, I understand Ka-chan. I know how he works and I know how to twist my words so that it doesn't prick his pride. I simply let him believe that he was the one in charge and that I was simply a tool to him passing. Along the way, I guess I proved that I'm on equal footing with him." Halyn replied.

"What makes you say that?"

Halyn turned to Recovery Girl and smiled at her brightly. It caught the old woman a little off guard.

"Because...he called me by my name. He only does that with people he recognizes." Halyn said, the happy swaying of her tail showing how much that meant to her.

Turning back to the screens, the two watched as Bakugo and Midoriya got into a fight, yelling at each other. Seeing that, Halyn heaved a sigh. She wished there was something she could say or do to help the two, but she had a feeling that this was way beyond her scope of capabilities.

"They really are the worst combo." Recovery Girl remarked.

Halyn agreed. She watched the fight progress and heaved another sigh when, in an attempt to get away from All Might, Midoriya crashed into Bakugo who was trying to attack All Might. The two wanted two completely different things and if they couldn't get it together, they would lose. She really wanted to see the two pull it together, so she was glad when Midoriya put his foot down and stood up to Bakugo. By doing that, he, somewhat, made Bakugo see reason and with a compromise between the two, they managed, with some major injuries, to make it through the gate and pass.

Halyn's attention turned to Todoroki and Yaoyorozu's test next. She was silently cheering the two on. While it was a serious moment with Yaoyorozu regaining confidence in herself, Halyn couldn't help feeling a little amused at just how much like a ninja Aizawa acted. Out in the residential area, Aizawa easy captured Todoroki first, stringing the boy up from a power line.

"You're the offense of this team, so I knew I had to capture you first, no matter what." Aizawa told Todoroki.

"Do you really think this will hold me? Flame or ice, either one will break these bindings." Todoroki told him.

"Use whichever you want, but watch your landing." Aizawa replied, throwing caltrops down to cover the ground below Todoroki.

"Caltrops...you a ninja? That's a nasty counter-measure." Todoroki remarked.

"This isn't like when you face the Hero Killer. I know there're two of you, and I know your quirks. So you can bet I'm ready to counter whatever you do." Aizawa said as he applied eye drops to his eyes. "You took on more than your fair share with this plan, though. Thinking of the girl is nice and all...but maybe you should've listened to what _she_ had to say? I would have thought you would have learned that after all you've been through with Leander."

Todoroki let that sink in. Of course, with Halyn, there wasn't really time to over ride her in decision making. If the girl had something to say, then by the gods, she was going to say her piece. Yaoyorozu wasn't as opinionated as Halyn was. But now that he thought about it, it did look like Yaoyorozu had been holding something back and he was sure that Halyn would smack him for not noticing sooner.

With both confronting the reason why Aizawa had paired them, Yaoyorozu came to his rescue, blinding Aizawa with flash grenades hidden in the Russian nesting dolls she had been making to tell when Aizawa was near, long enough for her to free Todoroki. From there, the two combined their forces, using a plan Yaoyorozu came up with, and took their victory by capturing Aizawa.

Back in the command central, Halyn let out a cheer. She rocketed right out of her seat, cheering so loudly that when Recovery Girl announced that Todoroki and Yaoyorozu had passed, everyone could hear Halyn in the background, cheering, "Shoto, Momo, you guys rock!".

After that, the other teams either passed or failed in quick order. Of course, Midoriya and Bakugo passed, but at the cost of serious injuries. All Might brought the two back to Recovery Girl, Halyn watching from her chair as the two boys were laid on beds. While Bakugo was unconscious, Midoriya's back was messed up. Recovery Girl did what she could at the moment, Midoriya thanking her.

"Are you even _capable_ of holding back?!" Recovery Girl demanded of All Might. "If you'd hit them any harder, there's be no possible way for them to recover! Especially for Midoriya's lower back! And Bakugo will be unconscious for a while. In the meantime, I'll put you two in beds at the school. Todoroki and Yaoyorozu are both resting there too." Recovery girl said.

"If that's the case, may I go back to the school, ma'am?" Halyn asked.

"If you wish." Recovery Girl said.

Halyn hopped out of her chair. She called back to Midoriya to feel better, the boy deciding to stay and watch the other exams, and hurried out of the tent after All Might who was carrying Bakugo back to the school. She fell into step next to All Might, peering up at Bakugo.

"You really did a number on him, sir." Halyn remarked.

"I might have gone over board, just a little." All Might replied.

"I'd say more than just a little." Halyn argued.

"And you? I saw what you did to Hound Dog."

"Oh...that." Halyn smiled. "Yeah, well, there's a difference between assaulting someone's sense of smell and beating the crap out of someone."

He couldn't argue with her on that.

When the two made it back to the school's infirmary, Halyn flew into the room ahead of All Might, and made a b-line directly to Todoroki.

"You passed! I knew you would!" Halyn cheered, smiling at him brightly before turning to Yaoyorozu. "And you, Momo! You were brilliant! Even if I was to assimilate part of your quirk, I would never be able to use it like you do."

Yaoyorozu smiled at her, but it was obvious she was embarrassed. All Might chuckled to himself as he left Bakugo in a bed and headed back out, leaving the four students by themselves.

"And you, Halyn? How'd you get past Hound Dog-sensei?" Todoroki asked.

"One of these."

Out of a pocket on the inside of her hoodie, Halyn pulled a stink bomb, letting the two see it. It didn't take the two long to figure out what Halyn had done to the school's poor guidance counselor. Halyn gave them a sheepish smile as she tucked the stink bomb away.

"Yeah...I'm going to have to apologize to Hound Dog-sensei." Halyn remarked.

The reply that came from her two friends was the same.

"You think?"

-0-0-0-0-

After the exams were over, everyone's team, save Kaminari and Mina's and Sato and Kirishima's, passed. Needless to say, that left the four in a depressed mood since all four really had their hearts set on going to the training camp. To Halyn's amusement, it turned out that, even though the four and Sero, all failed their practical exam, everyone was going to be going on the trip. It was good new to hear.

Then Halyn saw the packing list.

It was huge and while she was pretty sure she had everything at home, she would still have to pick up a few things just to have some extras. While the rest of her friends chatted happily about the trip and what they would need, Halyn went over the list, mentally checking off what she did have and what could stand to be replaced or something.

"Halyn." Halyn looked up from her list as Todoroki turned to her. "Tomorrow, we have the day off."

"I know. One of our rare days off, right?" Halyn replied, smiling.

"Right. Tomorrow...I want to take you somewhere."

Halyn blinked in surprise. It wasn't the first time they had hung out or anything. There had been several cases in which they had gone over to each other's house or when they had stopped somewhere on the way home to get something to eat. It wasn't out of the ordinary, or anything, but the mysterious way he phrased it, caught her attention.

"Okay. Where?" she asked.

"You'll see. I'll pick you up in the morning." was all he told her before turning back to gather his things.

Halyn was still pondering where he wanted to take her, when her female friends suddenly gathered around her. They instantly said something about the whole class going on a shopping trip the next day. Something that seemed to excite them.

"Sorry, but I already have plans for tomorrow." Halyn told them, apologizing to them.

While she was curious as to why Todoroki was keeping their location a secret, she was just happy to get to spend more time with her friend. Todoroki was quickly becoming her closest friend. She was starting to feel like she would follow him anywhere if he asked her. And, in that, lay a single question.

Was that still consider to simply be just friendship?

END

Kyandi: Uh-oh...looks like someone is starting to question things.

Halyn: It's a reasonable question to consider!

Kyandi: I know it is. Thankfully, I, myself, have never had to consider it.

Halyn: Then count yourself lucky.

Kyandi: I don't know about that. Sometimes, a person's best significant other, is their best friend.

Halyn: But not all the time.

Kyandi: True, very true. Anyway, I have another chapter to do, so, everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: We will return as soon as we can.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	18. Clever Kitty

Kyandi: I'm back! I had this chapter already half written out before hand.

Halyn: Apparently, she finds her own writing to be funny because she woke her sister up, laughing her head off in the middle of the night.

Kyandi: It was only twenty-three minutes after four in the morning and she had to be up at four-thirty, anyways.

Halyn: She still wasn't pleased with missing the seven minutes of sleep.

Kyandi: And I got hit for it. End of story.

Halyn: If you say so.

Kyandi: Anyway, let's jump in. I want to see how people react to my brand of humor.

Halyn: The same way they always do.

Kyandi: Shush! Everyone, enjoy and, please, review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 18 Clever Kitty

The next morning, Halyn woke up a little earlier than usual. Since she had no idea where Todoroki was taking her, she wasn't exactly sure what kind of outfit to wear. She went digging through her closet and drawers, trying to find a nice middle ground between casual and a little dressy, all the while, her cat, Salvatore, watched her from the top of his cat tower, one ear flicking idly.

Finally, Halyn settled for a sleeveless, cream colored, turtle neck, royal blue skirt, black thigh-high stockings, and a pair of black flats. Halyn fiddled with her clothes and hair, wondering if she should try a different hairstyle rather than her usual half up, half down style. In the end, she let her hair down, staring at her reflection as the hair that was usually trapped in its tie, fell forward around her face, granting her a more adorable appearance.

Still a little unsatisfied with her appearance, Halyn turned to Salvatore, who was still watching her. She spread her arms wide in order to show the cat her outfit choice.

"What do you think, Salvatore?" she asked.

Salvatore meowed back at her, before he started cleaning an ear. Halyn put her hands on her hips and frowned.

"Of course it matters." she told the cat.

Another meow left the cat in an almost bored fashion and a confused look fell on Halyn's face.

"I'm not sure why. Just tell me if the outfit is good enough." Halyn demanded.

Salvatore meowed again before lifting one hind leg in order to wash a different part of his feline anatomy. Halyn frowned, her tail lashing once in annoyance.

"Oh, that's real lovely, Salvatore." she retorted.

Salvatore ignored her in favor of moving to a part of the tower that was bathed in the sunlight filtering into her room. Halyn heaved a sigh. She would just have to keep trying. She was only saved from working her way through all of her clothes, when she heard the buzzer that signaled that someone was coming up the elevator.

Halyn grabbed her bag off the foot of her bed, checking to make sure that her phone and wallet were inside, before she hurried out of the room. She reached the front hall just as there was a knock on the door. When she opened to door for Todoroki, he turned to greet her and stopped, staring at her, his lips still parted in a greeting never uttered.

"What? Is something wrong?" Halyn asked. "It's the hair, isn't it? I'll go pull it back up, right n-"

Halyn turned to go back to her room and pull her hair back into it's usual style, but Todoroki caught her wrist, stopping her. When she turned back to look at him, he had recovered.

"No, its fine. It...it looks good like that." he told her.

"Really?"

The way she lit up at the praise, her tail curling while her eyes shined like polished amethyst, made it hard for Todoroki to continue to look her in the eye without his face growing hot. He settled for looking off to the side.

"Yeah. I like it." he told her.

Halyn couldn't have smiled brighter if she wanted to. Feeling a little embarrassed now, Todoroki insisted they get going. Even as they caught the train across town, he still didn't tell her where they were going. No matter how much she asked, he simply told her that she would see when they got there. Finally, she stopped asking. She would just have to wait and see.

She grew even more curious, though part of her had an idea on what was going on, when Todoroki brought her to a hospital. She followed behind him as he lead the way inside, checking them in before heading down the hall like he knew exactly where to go. It fully clicked into Halyn's head what was going on when they stopped in front of door with the name "Ms. Todoroki" beside it.

Todoroki was taking her to meet his mother.

Without knocking, Todoroki opened the door, excusing himself into the room. Halyn hesitated at the door, but followed him inside, letting him close the door behind her. Whatever she might have expected of Todoroki's mother, she was blown away by the simple beauty of his mother.

Todoroki Rei was a beautiful woman with snow white hair and eyes of a smokey grey. She smiled upon seeing her son, but her expression shifted to one of surprise when she saw Halyn at his side. Todoroki laid a hand right between her shoulders.

"Mom, this is my classmate, Leander Halyn. Halyn...this is my mother." Todoroki said.

Halyn snapped out of it and politely bowed to Rei. If she had known he was bringing her to meet his mother, she would have brought something for the woman.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Halyn said politely. "Please excuse me. I would have brought a gift if Shoto had told me we were coming here."

"Oh, Shoto...she's so pretty. Is she your girlfriend?" Rei asked, rather straight forwardly.

Halyn felt her cheeks go red as she stood up straight, glancing out of the side of her eyes at Todoroki, who was looking off to the side, refusing to look at either his mother or her.

Well, at least Halyn knew where he got his straight forwardness from.

That being said, what came out of his mouth next, surprised Halyn.

"Dad wishes."

Both females turned questioning looks on him. Todoroki simply moved to greet his mother, promising lowly that he would explain to her later on. Then he turned to Halyn, offering her the only chair in the room.

"Are you sure, Shoto? I can stand. After all...I'm interfering in your time with your mother." Halyn said.

"It's fine. Sit down." he told her.

Halyn gave him a soft smile, taking the seat as she thanked him. Rei looked between the two, smiling fondly as she saw the way the two teenagers looked at each other. Turning to Halyn, Rei smiled.

"Leander-chan,"

"Please, call me Halyn." Halyn insisted, making Rei smile again.

"Alright. Halyn. Have you and Shoto been friends for long?" Rei asked.

"Well, we're in the same class and all, but I don't really think we became close friends until after the Sports Festival. That about right, Shoto?" Halyn asked.

"Sounds about right." Todoroki agreed, leaning against his mother's desk.

"Before that...Shoto didn't even acknowledge that I existed." Halyn joked, smiling up at Todoroki.

"You made it impossible not to notice you after all your stunts." Todoroki replied, only half joking.

It was rather difficult to ignore a girl after they did everything Halyn had done. While she had spent the first part of the semester, just on the edge of his radar, whenever one of her friends needed help, she exploded onto center stage. She made it impossible for others to look away from her.

At least...that was how Todoroki felt.

"And you aren't from Japan?" Rei asked, pulling their attention back to her.

"No, ma'am. I'm from Italy." Halyn replied.

"So polite. I'm sure your parents miss you." Rei remarked.

Halyn's smile wavered slightly as she thought about her parents.

"Mom." Todoroki said, silently warning his mother not to brooch that subject.

"No, it's alright, Shoto." Halyn assured him, smiling up at him as she reached out to touch his arm.

Todoroki looked down at her, searching her expression to make sure she was fine. He knew she normally was, but he also knew that it was a little bit of a sore spot for Halyn. Rei looked between the two, picking up on what she had said wrong. She apologized, but Halyn simply smiled at her.

"My parents, you see, were pro heroes, a pair that worked together. My mother, sadly, died in the line of duty, so to speak, when I was only seven. My father was so heart broken, he vanished, abandoning me. I don't know where he is or what became of him." Halyn explained.

Now Rei could see why her son had taken such a liking to Halyn. He had his bad relationship with his father and Halyn had a father who had abandoned her, creating friction between the two. Rei could see how the two teenagers had connected.

"But it's alright." Halyn said, smiling brightly. "My four older brothers raised me and have loved and taken care of me."

Todoroki was glad that Halyn had skipped over the part about Flame Lash. While his mother was back to her kind self before his father's abuse, he didn't want to upset her. It seemed that Halyn didn't want to either.

"You have four brothers? So there's five of you?" Rei asked.

"Yes, ma'am! The oldest is Remus. Under him is the twins, Cyprian and Felix, and then Maximus. I'm the youngest." Halyn replied, making Rei laugh lightly.

"So your mother didn't get her daughter until the last one. That's the opposite of me. Shoto's sister, Fuyumi, was my first born." Rei said.

"I'm met Fuyumi. She's always really nice to me. I like her. We trade cooking secrets all the time." Halyn told her.

Todoroki sat back, watching as his mother and Halyn chatted. He was glad to see that his mother seemed to like Halyn. Then again, he didn't know why he had been concerned. In someways, Halyn reminded him of his mother. It was obvious that the two had a bit in common. He was just glad to see that they seemed to like each other.

Though he didn't want to admit why he cared so much if they got along.

Too many issues would arise.

The two teenagers ended up staying and talking with Rei for a good amount of time, the three just chatting away the hours. It was almost time for dinner when Halyn's phone suddenly went off. Looking down at the screen, she excused herself and stepped out into the hall. Once the door closed behind them, Rei turned to her son.

"Now, what was this about your father and his wishes for your dating life?" she asked.

Though it was the last thing he really wanted to talk to his mother about, especially since he didn't want to upset her, he explained to her about Endeavor's wish for him to eventually marry Halyn because of her quirk. Upon hearing this, Rei heaved a sigh.

"I see, so that's what you meant." Rei remarked.

"I won't be like him. If I marry someone, or date someone, it'll be because I have feelings for them. Not because he wants me to." Todoroki told his mother.

Rei eyed her son as he stared at his hands. She could tell, by the way the two looked at each other, that both her son and Halyn liked each other. They got along famously and it warmed Rei's heart to watch her son smile whenever Halyn gave him a smile.

Before she could say anything, though, Halyn returned to the room, looking a little worried.

"What's wrong?" Todoroki asked, instantly going to Halyn's side.

"That was Ochako. You know how she and most of the class went to the mall today to shop for the summer trip, right? Apparently, Deku had a run in with a member of the League of Villains." Halyn told him.

"Is everyone alright?" Todoroki asked.

"According to Ochako, everyone is alright and the guy got away after only threatening Deku." Halyn told him.

At least everyone was alright. But after hearing that news, Todoroki decided it was better to take Halyn to get something to eat and then return her home. With that decision in mind, both bid farewell to Rei. Todoroki let Halyn go out the door first and when he moved to follow her, his mother called out to him.

"Shoto." Todoroki turned to his mother, who smiled softly at him. "She's a lovely girl. If you really care about her...you shouldn't listen to your father. If she is what makes you happy, then ignore his meddling."

Todoroki blinked in surprise at his mother, but she just smiled. It seemed that he couldn't fool his own mother. Turning to peer down the hall, he watched as Halyn, a smile on her face, greeted a couple of elders as they shuffled down the hall. The two returned her smile, waving back to her as they continued on their way. While Todoroki knew his mother was right, just as Halyn had been right about him taking control of his own life, he just couldn't bring himself to do something his father wanted him to do.

Not yet, at least.

Turning back to his mother, he gave her a smile and nodded, promising that he would keep it in mind. Rei eyed him for a moment, but decided to leave it at that. She bid her son goodbye, waving back at Halyn when the girl turned to wave to her. Standing in her doorway, she watched as her son caught up with Halyn and the girl wrapped an arm around his so that they walked side by side.

Rei was sure that, given time, her son would realize what he had.

He just needed time.

-0-0-0-0-

After leaving the hospital, Halyn found herself being taken to a nearby cafe for dinner. Sitting across from Todoroki, she watched his expression as he stared at the menu. Having already decided what she wanted, she set her menu aside.

"I like your mother." Todoroki looked up from his menu, finding Halyn smiling fondly as she fiddled with her gloves. "She's sweet. I can see a lot of her in you."

"I don't know about that." Todoroki replied.

"I do. And she obviously loves you to death." Halyn gave him a bright smile before focusing on her hands. "Thank you for introducing me to her. Since you shared that with me, there's something I want to share with you."

"What do you mean?" Todoroki asked.

Halyn gave him a brief smile before she started pulling her gloves off. He had seen her bare hands before, but just the backs of them. When the gloves were removed, she held her hands out to him, palms down. Todoroki gave her a questioning look, raising an eyebrow at her. Halyn smiled back before she turned her hands over, baring the palms. Todoroki instantly had to bite back a hiss.

While the back of her hands looked normal, untouched by the slightest of scars...her palms were a different case. Just like her thighs, burn scars disfigured the palms of both hands. Todoroki instantly knew who had caused the scars and felt a flash of disgust. Instead of going for the back of the hands, which would have stung, but could have been tolerated, Flame Lash had gone after the sensitive palms.

Without realizing what he was doing, Todoroki took her hands in his, his thumbs rubbing over her palms. He felt Halyn jolt when his thumbs moved over her skin, making him look up at her.

"Since his capture of me, whether you punch me, kick me, or burn me, I can't feel pain. Not as pain is intended to be felt. But my palms...it's like the skin is always too sensitized. The slightest of touches from another person is like an electric jolt right up my arms. It's not painful, just...too much. It's part of the reason why I always wear gloves. At least with material between them and everyone else, I can avoid the jolt." she told him.

Todoroki instantly moved his thumbs away from the sensitive skin, his eyes falling back to the scars. Flame Lash really had done a number on Halyn. It just made Todoroki wonder how she could be around him when he, too, used fire in his quirk.

Halyn moved then, pulling her hands out of his grip. Moving her hands, hesitating for just a moment, as if she was preparing herself, she cupped his hands in hers. He felt her fingers twitch as another jolt raced up her arms and turned his eyes to her face. A bright smile was waiting for him as he looked at her.

"My two weak spots are my palms...and my tail." That had his eyebrow raising once again. It was a little cliche that her tail was a weak point. As if reading his thought from his eyes, Halyn laughed lightly. "I know, it's cliche, but it's still apart of my body. If someone grabs it and pulls, I feel it as if it was any other part of my body, and since it's attached to my tail bone, it's...it can kind of act like a leash. Tug on it and I'm forced to heel, get it?"

"Yeah. But why tell me this?" he asked.

"You introduced me to your mother and I know how sensitive that subject is for you, so I shared with you a subject that is so sensitive for me that...not even my brothers know."

Todoroki blinked in surprise. Her brothers didn't know? She had never told anyone else this little secret? But...then why tell him? Did she really feel that comfortable with him?

"Why tell me?" he asked.

"I trust you, Shoto. Completely. You are greater and more dear to me than any friend I've ever had."

Talk about a shot to the heart. When she said that and smiled so sweetly at him, his mother's words to him before he left, played again in his head. Fighting back a blush, he pulled his hands from Halyn's as their waiter came to take their order.

Todoroki was glad for the interruption because, honestly, he didn't know how to reply to Halyn's remark. Part of him wanted to tell her that he felt the same way, but that stubborn part of him, the part that still wanted to stick it to his dad anyway he could, wouldn't let him form the words. It wasn't fair to Halyn, but he just couldn't do it. Until he could work past this anger at his father, he doubted he would ever be able to verbally admit to her how he felt.

And she knew it.

Not that Todoroki knew she knew.

She could tell, simply by the look in his eyes when she had told him just how she felt. He was conflicted, still so angry with his father and that made it where he wasn't ready to accept how she felt and return it.

So she wouldn't push him.

She would patiently sit back and await the time when he could process it all. Even if that time never came, she wouldn't push him. She cared too much about him to push anything on him.

"After all," Todoroki looked up at Halyn as she smiled at him. "You are my best friend."

Todoroki stared at her for a moment before he simply agreed with, "Right, best friends.". It wasn't what her heart really wanted, she knew now, but she only wanted for him to be happy. If that meant that he would be happiest with her remaining his constantly supportive friend, then that was what she would forever be. She refused to push him as Endeavor was.

Even if it did kill her heart to deny her feelings.

-0-0-0-0-

The next day, when everyone returned to school, Halyn had to make sure, herself, that Midoriya was alright. It was like a weight off her shoulders when she finally confirmed it herself. She had been far more concerned than she had let on to Todoroki. There was no telling what someone like Shigaraki would do, even in a public place. She was just glad to see that nothing harmful had happened. At lunch break, Halyn took the chance to drive it home just how worried she had been.

"You scared me half to death!" Halyn scolded Midoriya, who sheepishly rubbed at the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Ha-chan." he told her.

"Honestly...you're like a magnet for trouble." Halyn told her.

"You're not much better, yourself, Leander." Kaminari called her.

"Yeah, well...no one asked you." Halyn retorted, much to the amusement of her classmates.

Since the results of the final exam had been posted, and all of her classmates found out how her exam had gone down, several of them had claimed that Halyn had been playing with fire. The reason for that, was currently talking with Kirishima about the awesome plan he had been charge of against Hound Dog.

"Bakugo, man, I hate to break it to you, but...Leander used you." Kirishima finally told Bakugo.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bakugo demanded, convinced that he had been the big man in charge.

"It's true." Kaminari said, butting into the conversation.

"We all could tell." Sero agreed.

"Indeed. It was a clever plan." Tokoyami added.

"What the hell are y'all talking about?" Bakugo demanded.

"She played you." Kirishima told him before turning to Halyn who was currently pulling a basket out from under her desk that she had brought with her that day. "Isn't that right Leander? You tricked Bakugo in order to get him to cooperate during the practical exam."

Halyn looked up from the basket in her hands, her eyes going to Bakugo. Everyone else in the classroom fell silent as their eyes turned towards Halyn. For a moment, Halyn just looked around the room before a sheepish smile fell on her face.

"Sorry, Ka-chan, but we would have failed if I didn't do something to get you to play along. Letting you think you were the one in charge was just what I settled on. On the bright side...you played your part splendidly." Halyn told him with false cheer. With every word, though, she could see his expression get stormier and stormier. By the time she finished, she could tell he was annoyed. "Before you get angry, Ka-chan, I might have twisted my words a little, but I meant everything I said. Just...not completely in that context."

Halyn had to dodge to the side to avoid Bakugo as he took a lunge at her. Slipping between her classmates, she made it to the door before he could catch her, doing a little spin to avoid upsetting whatever was in the basket. Pulling the door open, she gave Bakugo a smile.

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat lunch with us, Ha-chan?" Uraraka called.

"I'll catch up with you guys. I have to run by the teacher lounge." Halyn called back as she headed out of the room.

Slipping past other students in the hall, Halyn made her way to the teacher lounge where she was sure she would find who she was looking for. When she knocked on the door and was invited inside, she found every teacher that had helped with the practical exam, present. When Aizawa saw her, he put down the papers in his hands.

"Leander? Do you need something?" he asked.

"Sorry, but I'm not here to see you, Aizawa-sensei." Halyn told him, giving him a polite bow before her eyes found who she was looking for. Slipping past the other teachers, she approached who she had been looking for. "Hound Dog-sensei."

Hound Dog looked up from his own lunch in time to find Halyn bowing to him. She held out the basket in her hands to him.

"I'm here to apologize to you, sensei, for the stink bomb in your face. Even though it was all for the purpose of passing, I still can't imagine how much that hurt your nose. Please accept this as a token of my apology." Halyn told him honestly.

For a moment, all of the teachers stared at her. While Aizawa had somewhat figured Halyn would do something like this after the way she had acted in the aftermath of the USJ incident, none of the other teachers had seen it coming. Hound Dog especially hadn't seen it coming. He took the basket from her so she would finally stand up straight.

"It's mostly Italian snacks and small dishes and a few dishes that blends Japanese and Italian cooking styles. I hope you enjoy them." Halyn told him.

"You didn't have to do this." Hound Dog told her.

"Well, no, I didn't, but I figure it's always best to apologize if one thinks there's something they need to apologize for. After all...it wouldn't do for me to let things be and have my school's guidance counselor develop some kind of grudge." Halyn told him, giving him another bow.

"Leander." Halyn stood up straight and turned to look at Aizawa as he stood up to confront her. "You're not afraid of dogs, are you?"

"Oh, hell's bells, no! Just how cat-like do you think I am, Aizawa-sensei?"

Every single teacher stared at Halyn as she grinned widely, her tail curling in contentment. It was obvious that the girl was mentally laughing at them.

"Leander."

"Yes, Aizawa-sensei?"

"...did you-"

"Purposely lead you to believe I had a fear of dogs just so you would try to exploit that weakness and leave me with the advantage?" Halyn's grin grew to the-cat-that-caught-the-canary levels, her tail curling even more. "Why, yes, I did."

Aizawa couldn't believe it. While the other teachers stared at Halyn in disbelief, Aizawa pressed a hand to his face. He should have seen something like this coming. Halyn had already proven herself to be an overly clever individual and one quite capable of thinking of several possibilities and planning for each and every one of them. She had obviously figured that they would be looking for a weakness to exploit so, instead of letting them find a real one, she had concocted a fake one in order to have the advantage.

Seeing the frustration on her teacher's face as he peered at her, Halyn gave him a bright smile.

"I do believe I've already said this once, Aizawa-sensei, but...I'm a very clever kitty."

With that, Halyn bowed to the teachers and dismissed herself, humming as she left the teacher lounge, a bounce to her step. Just before she reached the door, she looked over her shoulder.

"After all, my brain is one of my redeeming traits and what good would I be if I couldn't even fool my teachers now and then?"

"You'd be normal, that's what you would be." Aizawa told her, making Halyn laugh.

"Oh, Aizawa-sensei...who wants to be normal?"

Halyn chuckled lowly as she left the room, enjoying the looks on the teachers' faces. Aizawa watched the door close and heaved a sigh. Out of all of his students, he sometimes wondered if Halyn was his hand full and not Bakugo.

Sometimes...she proved she was.

END

Kyandi: God, I can't count the number of times I fooled my teachers in high school.

Halyn: Your teachers didn't like you, did they?

Kyandi: Not really, no. Well...most of them didn't.

Halyn: So you gave me that trait?

Kyandi: Hey, at least I didn't have you do to Aizawa what I did to my English teacher whenever she called attendance.

Halyn: Hell's bells, no!

Kyandi: Then hush. Anyway, everyone, enjoy and review! I promise the next chapter will be longer.

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	19. Training Camp Begins!

Kyandi: Hey, everyone, I'm back!

Halyn: And she has a few chapters for you.

Kyandi: Four to be exact. And a lot of major plot points and secrets are going to be revealed in the next four chapters.

Halyn: So settle in and hold on tight, because this is going to be a roller-coaster.

Kyandi: Of the best kind, though.

Halyn: Also, there is a request that Kyandi-sama wants to get out.

Kyandi: Right. There is a link on my bio page, under the links to my social media. I'm not asking any of you to feel like you have to do anything, but, if you are a fan of mine, just please, check it out and, maybe, pass on the word. If you want to help, then you have my eternal gratitude, but if not, then just please pass on the word. That's all I'm asking.

Halyn: It's a subject that's pretty dear to her.

Kyandi: With that said, let's get on with the story, shall we?

Halyn: Right!

Kyandi: Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 19 Training Camp Begins!

"So given what happened...we're on the look out for those villains. And we've had to cancel our usual accommodations at the last minute. We won't reveal our actual destination until the day we depart."

Aizawa greeted his class with that little bit of news, first thing in the morning. Of course, it didn't go over well with the class.

"But I already told my parents." Sero spoke up.

"That's precisely the point. The school can't control who learns what or how." Tokoyami pointed out.

"I'm less worried about telling my brothers that the location has not only changed, but is confidential, and am more worried about telling them that the reason is because villains have made yet another threat on our class. They'll lose it." Halyn chimed in.

"Just don't tell them, likes always." Mina told her.

"After the whole incident in Hosu with the Hero Killer and my brother being distracted and almost being killed because of it, I really caught hell from my brothers, so now I'm trying this new thing where I tell them everything." Halyn replied, heaving a sigh. "It...has it's challenges."

"As long as we're not canceling the whole trip altogether!" Kaminari called out.

Halyn shook her head. While she got a bad feeling in her stomach about the whole thing, she couldn't help smiling at just how excited her classmates were for the trip.

"You." Bakugo suddenly said, talking to Midoriya. "Broken bones or not, you should've killed him."

"Come on, Bakugo. Didn't you hear how it was for Midoriya?! Besides, using quirks in a public place is totally illegal." Toru retorted.

"Do I care? Just break those freaking bones." Bakugo snapped.

"Careful, Ka-chan. Someone might accuse you of being concerned for Deku." Halyn teased.

"Fuck off, Leander!"

Halyn grinned as Bakugo growled at her. With that, the eventful first semester of their year was called to a close. Even after the closing ceremony, Halyn couldn't shake the feeling that something was looming just over the horizon. That being said, she would enjoy her time with her friends as long as she could.

Standing with the guys, Todoroki watched as Halyn talked with their female classmates. She stood there, laughing and smiling brightly as the girls chatted.

If only he had known that would be one of the last smiles he would see from her for a long while.

-0-0-0-0-

On the last day of their brief summer break before the training camp, Halyn found herself being invited to the school pool with the girls. Of course, while the girls had managed to get a request to use the pool for fun, approved, the boys, with Kaminari and Mineta in charge, hadn't. Instead, while the girls got to use one half of the pool for fun, the boys used the other half for endurance training.

When all the boys arrived, they found all of the girls, save Halyn, stretching in their school issued swimsuits. Which was a let down to Kaminari and Mineta since the school issued suits were basically just body suits.

"Where's Ha-chan?" Midoriya called out to the girls.

"She's changing and should be out soon." Todoroki answered.

"You two came here together, today, didn't you?" Ojiro asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Todoroki asked.

"It's nothing, just...you two always seem to be together now." Ojiro pointed out.

"He's right! Are you two dating?!" Mineta demanded.

"Not at all. We're just really good friends."

When a new voice entered the conversation, everyone turned to find Halyn in the doorway. Mineta nearly freaked out when he saw Halyn's swimsuit. Given her quirk and her physical differences when compared to the other girls, Halyn's school issued swimsuit was different. Instead of the full body suit that was sleeveless and had legs that stopped at the knee, Halyn's was two pieces, the bottoms sat low on her hips to accommodate her tail and was cut off at mid thigh length and the top, while still sleeveless, only went to just above the bottom of her rib cage.

"Why is your swimsuit different?" Midoriya asked.

"It's to accommodate my tail and my quirk." Halyn explained.

Turning, Halyn went to join the girls. It was then that everyone got their first glimpse at the scar from the stab wound to her side. The scar, itself, covered most of the left side of her stomach. Right in the center of it, was the jagged line where the knife had actually cut her, the single line surrounded by burn scarred skin. With the swimsuit, they were also able to see the scars across each of her thighs. Several of her classmates hissed in sympathy when they saw it.

"Oh, Ha-chan! That looks so bad." Uraraka said, peering at the scar.

"Perhaps, so." Halyn said, laying a hand over the scar, a smile on her face. "But all heroes have a scar or two. I consider each one a badge of honor."

"And these? Were these from the Hero Killer incident, too?" Mina asked, gesturing to Halyn thighs.

"No. Those were from Flame Lash." Halyn laughed when Mina instantly apologized. "Don't worry about it, Mina! It's all good, honestly. So, are we going to have fun or what?"

While the boys started on their training exercises, the girls got to playing a game, tossing a ball back and forth. When the boys went on a break, Todoroki sat back and watched as Halyn happily jumped to spike the ball, her hair wet and plastered to her arms. When Kirishima, who had just shown up with Bakugo, playfully made a comment about cats not liking water, Halyn playfully hissed at him.

Of course, all playing aside, with Bakugo now there, their day at the pool, turned into a contest between the boys to see who could make it from one end of the pool to the other the fastest. The girls would take over as judges and the use of quirks was allowed. The moment Halyn heard that last part, she knew this was all going to end up a big mess.

Especially with Bakugo involved.

Given the limited number of lanes on the pool and the amount of boys, they decided to divide them up into groups. The first group consisted of Mineta, Tokoyami, Koda, Bakugo, and Kaminari. Bakugo, using his quirk to blow himself from one end of the blow to the other without ever touching the water, was the winner. Though, it didn't go over so well with the other boys.

"What do you thinking you're doing!?" Sero demanded.

"You didn't even touch the water!" Kirishima complained.

"It's called free style swimming!" Bakugo retorted.

Halyn was bent over double, silently dying of laughter.

The second group included Sero, Aoyama, Todoroki, Sato, and Kirishima. Halyn could already see how this was going to end. Aoyama tried to use his quirk to get across the pool, but the pain in his stomach from extended use, set in before he could get all the way across and he ended up taking out Sero in the process. It was Todoroki, using his ice, that won.

"You're suppose to be swimming!" Kaminari and Mineta yelled.

Halyn was in the middle of a fit of undignified giggles by this point.

The last group sobered her up quick, because it pitted Midoriya against Ida, with Ojiro and Shoji rounding out the group. While Midoriya, Ojiro, and Shoji actually dived into the pool, Ida used his quirk to zipped him across the pool, using one of the ropes that divided up the lanes. Seeing Ida pull ahead, Midoriya used his own quirk to speed up his swimming.

While it was a close call, Midoriya managed to win.

That put Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki against each other in the final round.

Halyn instantly went bounding around the pool, a bright smile on her face.

"That was awesome, Deku! You were great too, Ida. Of course, Shoto was great as well." Halyn said, turning to smile at Todoroki.

"What about me!?" Bakugo snapped from across the pool.

"What about you?" Halyn asked, batting her eyelashes.

Kirishima had to hold Bakugo back, to keep him from attempting to kill the girl. They all knew that if he tried...she would just embarrass him, somehow, someway. Then they would all have to deal with a ticked off Bakugo.

Halyn, though, ignored him, her attention snagging on her three friends before her. The four of them, just since the Sports Festival, had faced so much together. The events of the Sports Festival, the internships...Halyn was sure the four of them would end up being close friends for the rest of their lives. Or...at least she hoped they would be.

Though each of them wanted to be a hero for a difference reason, wanted to be different kinds of heroes, they were friends that would help to push each other along the path. It was sure to be a long, difficult and rocky path, but Halyn was sure it was one that they could travel, together.

In the coming weeks, Halyn would need that connection more than she ever knew.

-0-0-0-0-

The first day of their training camp found Halyn and her classmates up at the break of dawn. Meeting up with her classmates at the school, Halyn was surprised to find Class B there was well. Of course, Monoma couldn't let the chance pass him to mock Class A.

"What? Some Class A kids are getting extra lessons? That means some of you failed?!" Monoma exclaimed. "Huhh! How weird is that?! Everyone knows Class A is totally superior to Class B, but now this?! Wow!"

"From what I hear... **you** failed, too, Monoma." Halyn remarked, shocking him long enough to give Kendo an opening to chop him.

"Sorry." Kendo apologized for him.

"We don't resent you for all that stuff from the Sports Festival." one Class B girl said.

"Halyn-chan is a good friend of ours." Shiozaki added, greeting Halyn with a smile.

Halyn's classmates turned to Halyn as she greeted the Class B girls with a bright smile. Feeling their eyes on her, Halyn turned to look at them.

"When?!" Kaminari demanded.

"Hey, I don't hang out with just you guys. Ibara and I have been friends since our match during the Sports Festival. Through her, I got to know the others. Right, Ibara?" Halyn asked, smiling at Shiozaki.

"Yes." Shiozaki agreed.

"Right, so glad to be working with you." Tokage said, the other Class B girls agreeing with her.

It was then that they were called to board the bus. Bidding farewell to her Class B friends, Halyn boarded her class's bus, claiming a seat next to Todoroki. It wasn't long after they hit the road that chaos filled the bus and they would be on the road for an hour before they made their first stop.

Halyn took the time to relax, chatting easily with Todoroki and those sitting around them. The hour, to her, passed quickly. When they finally did stop, it was on the edge of the road, over looking a large span of forested mountain land.

"Where are we?" Halyn asked.

"And where's Class B?" Uraraka asked.

"Of course, we stopped here for a reason." Aizawa told them turning to a car that was there waiting.

Out of the car, stepped two women and a small boy. The women introduced themselves as one half of the hero team, The Wild Wild Pussycats.

"These are the pro heroes who'll be helping us out this time-The Pussycats." Aizawa told his students.

"They're a four-member hero team who all work under a single agency!" Midoriya gushed. "This veteran team specializes in mountain rescue operations! They've been in business for twelve years now-"

Halyn stepped out of the way as one of the women, Pixie-Bob, surged forward to grab Midoriya by the face.

"We're eighteen at heart." she insisted.

It was then that Pixie-Bob eyes locked in on Halyn. Or, more specifically...Halyn's tail. Halyn saw the woman's expression light up and it had the girl putting Todoroki between her and Pixie-Bob.

The other woman, Mandalay, drew their attention to her as she gave a sweep of her arm, letting them take in the terrain before them.

"This whole area here is our territory." she told them. "Your lodging is at the foot of that mountain over there."

The mountain Mandalay pointed a claw at, was a considerable distance from where they currently were. With a dense forest between the two points, Halyn could foresee sore muscles in her future because she had no doubt in her mind what was about to happen. It took a little longer for the rest of her classmates to catch on to what was about to go down.

"Huh...? Then why'd we stop half way...?" Uraraka asked.

"Uh-oh..." Sato gulped.

"Let's...get back...to the bus? Hurry..." Sero suggested.

"I think it's too late for that now." Halyn admitted, her muscles already tensing.

"It's now nine-thirty a.m. I'm thinking...around noon, at the earliest." Mandalay remarked.

Mina yelled for everyone to make a break for it, several of Halyn's classmates booking it back to the bus. Todoroki turned to Halyn, but the girl was already gone.

"Kitties who don't make it there by twelve-thirty won't get any lunch." Mandalay called.

"Sorry, kids." Aizawa called just as Pixie-Bob used her quirk to up-heave the dirt from under their feet and send them over the guard rail to the forest below. "The training's already begun."

Mandalay leaned over the rail to look down at the students below.

"This is our private territory, so feel free to use your quirks! You've got three hours to reach the facility on foot! Make it through the Beast's Forest!" Mandalay called down.

Mandalay, a smile on her face, turned to Aizawa then. Pixie-Bob was already snickering as she set up to start providing obstacles for the students.

"So glad I have good reflexes and reasonable instincts."

The sudden voice had Aizawa, Mandalay and Pixie-Bob turning to look up at the top of the bus. Crouching on the bus roof, tail flicking back and forth, was Halyn. The girl had managed, barely, to foresee and escape Pixie-Bob.

"Leander." Aizawa sighed.

"I know, I know. I'm not being normal again. Face it, Aizawa-sensei, you're never going to get normalcy from me." Halyn warned him before she jumped from the bus to the guard rail. "I'll show myself the way down, thank you."

With that, Halyn flipped herself off the rail, vanishing down below. Once she was out of sight, Aizawa heaved a sigh.

"And **that** is going to be our problem child." he admitted to Mandalay and Pixie-Bob. "Simply because the girl is far too clever."

Not that Halyn would have taken that as anything other than a compliment. The girl in question, landed lightly next to Midoriya just as Mineta ran to find somewhere to use the bathroom. He almost made it to the tree line when a large beast appeared.

Halyn was pretty sure Mineta didn't need to pee anymore.

Koda tried to get the creature to calm down with the use of his quirk, but it didn't work, just proved that the beast wasn't a real animal. Midoriya, along with Halyn was quick to figure out that it was part of Pixie-Bob's quirk.

"Looks like we'll just have to force our way through." Halyn remarked.

Facing the creatures, Halyn heaved a sigh. She should have known this summer camp would be something like this. And after all they had been through in the first semester, she couldn't really say it was uncalled for. Now she had to survive long enough to make it to the lodgings.

Today was going to be a long day.

-0-0-0-0-

It was five-thirty at night by the time they made it to the lodgings.

"They're finally here." Pixie-Bob called just before the students appeared out of the trees.

Everyone of the students looked like they had been put through hell. Even Halyn hadn't escaped unscathed. She appeared from the forest, helping to support Todoroki, her school uniform ripped and torn and covered in dirt.

"Needless to say, they didn't make it in time for lunch." Pixie-Bob remarked.

"'It'll only take three hours'. Yeah, right..." Sero mocked.

"So hungry...Gonna die..." Kirishima complained.

"Sorry. That's how quick **we** would've made it." Mandalay replied.

"Flaunting the power gap in our faces...?" Sato complained.

"Mew mew mew...we actually thought it'd take you **longer**." Pixie-Bob remarked.

"Now **there's** an honest opinion for you." Halyn muttered as she let Todoroki's arm slide from around her shoulders.

"And you dealt with my earth beasts pretty easily, too. Not bad. Especially...you five." Pixie-Bob pointed to Halyn, Todoroki, Midoriya, Ida, and Bakugo. "I'm guessing your **past experiences** allowed you to act without hesitation? Gonna have fun three years from now! I'm marking them as mine!"

Halyn and the boys covered their faces as Pixie-Bob started trying to mark them as hers with saliva. A disgusting act in Halyn's opinion.

"Especially **this** little kitty." Pixie-Bob said, circling Halyn.

"What are you talking abo- _eeyowl!_

Halyn cut off, letting out a noise between a yowl and scream as Pixie-Bob suddenly stopped behind her, dropping into a crouch as she lifted the back of Halyn's tattered skirt. Halyn instantly grabbed the front, pinning it down so it wouldn't go up as well. Her tail frizzled out and a blush colored her cheeks.

"Ohh! The tail is real!" Pixie-Bob cheered in glee.

"Of course it's real!" Halyn retorted, pulling away from Pixie-Bob before the woman had a chance to touch her tail.

She pinned her skirt down, but Pixie-Bob wasn't done with her just yet. She started after Halyn, the girl running away, all the while, pinning down the back of her skirt.

"Such a cute tail!" Pixie-Bob cheered.

"Leave it alone!" Halyn replied, running past her classmates.

"And were those lace panties? What's a girl your age doing wearing those?" Pixie-Bob asked.

"That's none of your business!" Halyn cried, coming back the other way to pass her classmates once more.

"And they're such a cute red and white pattern!" Pixie-Bob added.

"Shut up already!"

By now, Mineta was about to work himself into a slobbering craze and Halyn was red up to her ears. She couldn't possibly get any more embarrassed. Spinning and dodging Pixie-Bob's grab for her, Halyn made a dash for Aizawa.

"Aizawa-sensei! You're the teacher here...do something!" she demanded, diving behind him.

Pixie-Bob was forced to leave Halyn alone, but she gave the girl a wink, Halyn replying with a hiss and a flash of her nails as if they were cat claws. Todoroki, knowing what he now knew about Halyn's tail, could completely understand why she didn't want Pixie-Bob messing with her tail.

Then again, there was another reason as well.

Todoroki looked at Halyn as she rejoined her classmates, still holding down her skirt and her face still red. She now looked even more exhausted than she had before.

"Lace?" Kaminari asked.

"Be quiet or die a slow and painful death. A girl has a right to like lace."

Bakugo applauded this retort from Halyn, but Kaminari couldn't put enough space between him and Halyn. All attention, thankfully, was taken from her when Midoriya tried to greet Mandalay's nephew, Kota, and only got punched in the groin for his efforts.

Halyn managed to hold her laughter, but when Ida yelled, "Hey, nephew! Why'd you punch Midoriya in the junk?!", she lost it, bending over double in laughter. She couldn't help it. She had never thought she would hear Ida say "in the junk". It was just too funny.

"I can't abide jerks who wannabe heroes." was all Kota said.

"Cute kid." Bakugo remarked.

"You two are a lot alike." Todoroki told him.

"A lot alike? Buzz off. Don't wanna hear anything outta you, Mr. Threw-the-match." Bakugo snapped.

"So very alike. Ka-chan, that's what any child of your's will be like." Halyn piped in.

"No one asked you, you rejected cat!" Bakugo snapped.

"Enough of this sideshow. Go get your luggage from the bus." Aizawa told them. "Drop your things off in your rooms, then come to dinner in the mess hall. After that, you'll bathe. Then it's bedtime. The real training starts tomorrow. Now hurry up."

Halyn was more than happy to fill her growling stomach first. After missing lunch and going through the exhausting day they had had, everyone all but inhaled their food. With her stomach filled, Halyn sank into the water of their outdoor bath, draping herself over the edge to press her cheek against the cool rocks.

"Ahh...I've never felt this good." Uraraka remarked.

"Can you believe there're hot springs here? This is the best." Mina cheered.

"It certainly feels good after a long day running through the forest." Halyn agreed. "My shoulders and legs are positively aching."

Halyn turned, her eyes going to the wall between the male and females baths when she heard Ida's raised voice. All of the girls crowded together, listening. They could guess, just from what they heard Ida yelling, that Mineta was trying to scale the wall to get a sneak peek. Halyn pressed a towel to the front of her body. Thankfully, Kota had been stationed at the top of the wall and knocked Mineta back down to the boys' side.

"Mineta's really the worst, huh?" Asui called out.

"Thanks, Kota!" Mina called out, giving the boy a thumbs up when he looked down at them.

Perhaps it was a little too much for Kota, somewhat seeing naked, teenage girls, because, with a gasping sound, he vanished from their sight. Halyn heard, later on, that Kota fell from the wall only to be caught by Midoriya. She was glad to hear that the boy was alright, but after a long day, Halyn dragged herself right to bed. She even passed on playing cards with the girls in favor of sleep.

With a wake up call at fifty-thirty in the morning, she was going to be grateful for that.

-0-0-0-0-

The next morning was an early one. Most of Halyn's classmates were still in a daze, having been up late talking or playing card games. Halyn was one of the few that was bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Quite literally on the latter since she hadn't had time to brush out her tail that morning.

"Morning, kids. Today, the real training camp begins. Ideally, you will all emerge stronger. Strong enough to acquire your **provisional licenses**." Aizawa told them once they were all gathered. "More specifically, there's a growing hostile force out there. Through this, you'll be prepared to face it so stay sharp and work hard. To start...here, Bakugo. Try throwing this."

Aizawa threw something at Bakugo. It turned out to be the ball they had used on the first day of classes in order to gauge throwing strength.

"This is...from the strength trials." Bakugo remarked.

"Strength trials?" Halyn asked, having not been in the class for that.

Uraraka explained it to her quickly, Halyn finally understanding.

"Last time, right after school started, your record was 705.2 meters...how much have you grown since then?" Aizawa asked.

"Ohh! Testing to see if we've improved?" Mina asked.

Bakugo, believing he had improved leaps and bounds, took up the challenge gladly. He took the ball and gave it his best throw. While the throw was impressive and kicked up quite the wind, Bakugo's new record was only 3.4 meters farther than the last one.

"Yes, you **have** been through a lot these past three months. Undoubtedly, you've all grown. But it's only your techniques and minds that have matured. Well, and your bodies, a bit." Aizawa told them. "But as you've all just seen, your quirks haven't kept up with the pace. Starting today, you'll improve on your quirks. This'll be so harsh that you'll wish you were dead, so do your best to **stay alive**."

With that, every one of the students were given a set task to do in order to help their quirks improve.

Everyone...but Halyn.

Once the other students were set about their task, Aizawa and the Pussycats turned to Halyn. One of her eyebrows quirked upwards as her tail flicked, a curious expression falling on her face. When all the five adults did, was stare at her, Halyn shifted from one foot to the other.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm not sure what to do with you." Aizawa admitted.

How were they suppose to work on a quirk that allowed her to assimilate and change multiple quirks? It had stumped Aizawa from the very beginning, because, honestly, he couldn't see a down point to such a quirk.

"Well...I haven't been completely truthful with you, Aizawa-sensei."

Aizawa snapped out of his thoughts, fixing his eyes on Halyn as she twisted her fingers together, her eyes looking everywhere, but at him.

"What are you talking about, Leander?" he asked.

"There...there is a down side, a weakness, to my quirk." Aizawa blinked in surprise. Halyn had explained her quirk to him, but she had never once let on about a possible weakness to her quirk. Seeing the look on his face, Halyn hurriedly jumped to explain. "I never lied to you about my quirk, though, honestly! Everything I told you about my quirk is true. I just didn't tell you the downsides. Shoto is the only one who knows."

Downsides...meaning there was more than one.

"What are they?" Aizawa asked.

Halyn, for a moment, looked uncomfortable, her eyes scanning those around them, making sure she was a good distance from the other students.

"Please keep in mind that this can be very damaging information to me, Aizawa-sensei." she told him, fixing him with a serious expression.

"Understood. It won't leave us and the Pussycats." Aizawa assured her.

Halyn nodded, taking a deep breath. Her eyes fell to her hands for a moment before she started to explain.

"First off...I can only assimilate up to five quirks at a time. Anymore than that is pushing my body's limits. That's because, while I have pain asymbolia, and generally don't register pain, when I try to assimilate more than five...it's the worst pain I've ever been in. It feels like my body is trying to tear itself apart from the inside out." Halyn admitted.

Aizawa could see how that could be harmful to her for the wrong person to learn. If she, by some chance, was force to assimilate more than her limit, than the pain could disable her and leave her open for an attack by a villain.

"And the other downsides?" Aizawa asked.

"Well...this actually involves Flame Lash." Halyn said. "If, for some reason, I fully assimilate someone's quirk, like I did with him, and the person dies before I can discard the quirk...I'm permanently stuck with it and then there goes one of my five slots, so to speak. Flame Lash...died before I could discard his quirk. I'm stuck with it."

"So, you mean that you really only have the capacity to assimilate four new quirks right now?" Aizawa asked.

"Yes, sir. And, of course, there's the fact that I have to train my body harder and harder in order to accommodate certain types of quirks. Hence my current physical capabilities." Halyn added. "And...I have to have skin to skin contact to take the quirk. That's part of the reason why I wear gloves all the time. I don't want to be tempted or to accidentally take a quirk. Not that that happens, but you know...precaution."

Now Aizawa understood her cleverness. Her quirk, it's limitations, and her past mixed together and warranted Halyn having to be a little more creative than most. It also explained why Halyn didn't use her quirk unless she absolutely had to. With this information, Aizawa could come up with some kind of training for her. Of course, given the sheer amount of pain it put the girl through to try to expand her limit, he would have to correspond with Nezu and a few teachers to figure out how they could safely work on that limit. With Halyn's permission to share the information, of course. For now, he needed to know something else.

"Leander." Halyn looked up at Aizawa. "How difficult is it for you to switch between quirks?"

"Depends on how different the quirks are. If I have to switch from a metamorphic-type quirk, like Ojiro or Shoji's quirk, to a quirk like, say, Shoto's, it's a little difficult to do so quickly. My body needs the time to change. I can do it, it's just not second nature." Halyn replied.

"And can you combine the quirks you take?" Aizawa asked.

Halyn's head tilted to one side, her tail flicking in thought. Pixie-Bob's eyes snagged, briefly, on Halyn's tail, but she quickly refocused as Halyn considered this.

"Well, I've used quirks consecutively, but I've never tried to combine them, no." Halyn asked.

"Alright. For now, we'll focus on you're switch time. Work on the time it takes you to switch between quirks while fighting against an opponent." Aizawa told her.

"An opponent? But who, sensei?" Halyn asked.

Aizawa turned, his eyes going to the last person that Halyn really wanted to deal with right now. Especially when she saw the grin that was turned on her.

"Pixie-Bob will be your opponent."

Halyn really wanted to curse right then.

END

Kyandi: To be honest, I would want to curse too.

Halyn: Why did you do this to me?

Kyandi: Well, Pixie-Bob really loves cats, so I thought it would be a funny little running gag.

Halyn: It's not funny to me.

Kyandi: Typically, a joke isn't going to be funny to everyone.

Halyn: Can we just move on?

Kyandi: Right. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be right back.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	20. Permission To Fight

Kyandi: And we're back again!

Halyn: There's a big plot point to be dropped in this chapter.

Kyandi: Actually there are two of them.

Halyn: Oh, that's right.

Kyandi: Well, instead of sitting around, talking about it, should we just jump in?

Halyn: Sounds good to me.

Kyandi: Alright. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 20 Permission To Fight

"Improve on our quirks...?!"

Class B, upon waking the first day of actual training, was confronted with this bit of news while standing in front of their homeroom teacher, Vlad King.

"Class A's already at it, so let's get moving. Class A stole the spotlight every time in the first semester, so the second semester's gonna be Class B's time to shine. Got that? Not Class A. **Us!** " Vlad King told his students.

Which severed to make his students feel bad for letting him down in the first semester. With that, Vlad King took his students to the clearing where Class A was already hard at work. What they saw before them, had Class B freezing on the spot.

"Operative types with maximum output levels need to raise their limits. Heteromorphic and composite types need to further train those extra parts and appendages." Vlad King explained to his students. "Normally, you'd be doing all this at the same rate that your bodies grow..."

"But there's no time for all that. Get to it, Class B." Aizawa finished, approaching Class B.

"But there're forty-one of us altogether. How can just the six of you oversee all of us and our quirks?" Kendo asked.

"That's why we have **these ladies**." Aizawa said, gesturing to the members of the Pussycats, who introduced themselves.

"My quirk is Search! I know everything about anyone I lay eyes on, up to one hundred people at a time. Including location and weaknesses!" Ragdoll said.

"With my Earthflow, I can create the perfect training environment for each of you!" Pixie-Bob added.

"And I use my Telepath to give advice to each of you, all at once." Mandalay explained.

"And I'm here to punch and kick you into shape." Tiger added last, making some of the kids uncomfortable.

Since he was in charge of power up types, like Midoriya, those with the same type of quirk, swallowed a gulp. Especially after seeing how he handled Midoriya.

"Speaking of training..." Pixie-Bob trailed off, grinning before giving a flick of a claw.

With a yowl of annoyance, from the trees nearby, Halyn was tossed out of her hiding spot by the very dirt she had been standing on. The girl flailed for a moment before she regained enough of her balance that when she landed, it wasn't on her face. She landed on hands and feet, sliding across the ground and instantly had to flip out of the way as Pixie-Bob attacked once more.

Grinning, Pixie-Bob used the cover of her Earthflow's attack, to sneak up on Halyn. Class B, Vlad King, and Aizawa watched as Pixie-Bob got right up behind Halyn and latched onto the waist band of Halyn's pants, pulling them out so she could peer at the base of Halyn's tail. Halyn jolted, her tail frizzling out, once more, and with a yowl and a hiss, she snatched her waist band from Pixie-Bob and took off, hands gripping the back of her pants.

"Hell's bells! What is wrong with you, woman!?" Halyn demanded as she ran away from Pixie-Bob, who was right on her tail. Spotting Class B, Halyn's eyes lit up and she made a b-line for them. "Itsuka! Let me borrow a little bit of your quirk!"

"Uh, okay."

Kendo wasn't sure how it worked, so she merely held out her hand. Halyn, who had switched to the fingerless gloves she used with her costume, gave Kendo's hand a slap, finger tips brushing across Kendo's skin, before she rounded on Pixie-Bob. Right before their eyes, Halyn ripped off her glove and her hand expanded, like Kendo's did.

"Leave my tail alone!" Halyn yelled before batting Pixie-Bob away with the large hand.

Pixie-Bob was sent tumbling, end over end, and a shiver passed down Halyn's spine. Without the glove between her palm and Pixie-Bob, it had sent a jolt through her system. She returned her hand to normal and pulled the glove back on.

Muttering something in Italian, under her breath, Halyn charged after Pixie-Bob, her tail lashing in an annoyed fashion. Seconds later, a few of Halyn's classmates were up-heaved as Pixie-Bob and Halyn clashed. Moments later, there was another gasping yowl before a string of Italian drifted over the clearing.

Everyone who heard it, was sure of one thing...there had to be, at least, one curse word in there.

-0-0-0-0-

That night, after they finally finished their training for the day, both classes were shown to a cooking area, where they would be expected to make their own meals for the duration of the camp.

"Like we said, the pampering ended yesterday!" Pixie-Bob told them.

"Wanna eat? Then you gotta cook for yourselves! Today is curry!" Ragdoll added.

Their reply was a weak and worn out, "Yes, ma'am" from the students. Even Halyn was too tired to muster up any more. Pixie-Bob had run her through her paces and pushed even further. Halyn had lost count of how many time Pixie-Bob had managed to grab a hold of her tail or her pants. All she knew was...she really disliked having a tail now.

"Bwahahaha! You all look worse for wear! That's why this is no mere kitty chow you'll be making!" Ragdoll cheered, her insane laughter ringing loud.

"But of course...in times of disaster and evacuation, someone needs to fill the bellies and sooth the souls of the fatigued citizens." Ida said. "That, too, is part of rescue operations. Naturally, UA never misses a teaching opportunity! So let's make the tastiest curry in the world, everyone!"

Ida was able to rouse the troops for one more mission for the night, but not everyone was convinced that Ida had it right and that it was just another teaching moment.

"Wow, so pretty." Halyn remarked, looking up at Ida.

"What's that suppose to mean, Leander?" Ida demanded.

"If you have to ask, then I'm not telling you." Halyn replied before moving to help start the fires.

With some help from Todoroki, they got the fires going and got to preparing the food. It became apparent, very quickly, that the majority of those there, didn't know how to cook. Halyn, known in her class as a good cook, found herself pulled from one station to the next, constantly being asked questions about how to prepare something. She didn't mind, really.

Halyn found that she liked this whole situation of training, living, and cooking with her friends. After so long of a virtually empty house because her brothers were constantly busy and then her moving to Japan, it was nice to have the constant noise around her. Even having to dodge Pixie-Bob's random grabs for her tail, was starting to become less frustrating and more of a game between the two to see who could move faster.

A game that continued into the next day.

Day three of the training camp, dawned with Halyn back at her training of dodging Pixie-Bob's attacks, while quickly switching between different type of quirks. It was a little strained, trying to shift from a heteromorphic quirk to other types, but Halyn could tell she was getting faster at doing it. Slowly, but surely, her body was becoming accustomed to the switch. She was also becoming better at reading Pixie-Bob's movements and avoiding her.

It was half way through the day when Halyn finally managed to outsmart Pixie-Bob and, with Yaoyorozu's quirk, created a rope that she then used to bind Pixie-Bob. With the woman securely tied and with her first successful attempt at using Yaoyorozu's quirk, Halyn gave a jump into the air, cheering.

"Finally!" Halyn cheered.

"Great, now untie me." Pixie-Bob told her.

"Not a chance!" Halyn retorted, hands on her hips. "I know better than that. The moment I untie you, you'll just make a grab for my tail. It's not happening."

Halyn only had the warning of Pixie-Bob's flashing eyes before, with the use of the claws on her gloves, the woman cut herself free and launched herself at Halyn. With a surprised cat noise, Halyn turned on the spot and ran.

"Look out! Crazy lady coming through!" Halyn called as she charged past her other friends.

While Halyn was busy trying to shake Pixie-Bob, again, the remedial group was busy trying to fight sleep after having extra lessons until two in the morning, only to turn around and wake up at seven. Aizawa actually ended up lecturing everyone because they were looking sluggish.

"You're all looking sluggish today. Always be conscious of who you are. That's the key to improvement. That's why you're out here sweating. Why I'm riding you so hard. Keep it in mind, always." Aizawa told them.

Who she was.

Halyn had always been pretty sure she knew who she was. Of course, she had gotten a huge wake up call when Flame Lash had stepped into her life. She had been forced to confront the fact that she hadn't quite known who she was, or even what she really wanted from life. Now she knew what she wanted in her life, but as for who she was...Halyn was still at that age where she wasn't completely sure who she was. Not yet. She was still discovering parts of her she hadn't known existed. It had her asking herself something.

When everything was said and done, when it came down to the wire...who was the real Leander Halyn?

-0-0-0-0-

A few hours later, Pixie-Bob made an announcement about the two classes going head-to-head in a test of courage that night. With that encouraging bit of news, the two classes got through the rest of training and through cooking dinner, eating, and washing things up. It was only once that was over were they cleared to have some fun.

Sadly, those in the remedial group...weren't allowed to join. Aizawa dragged them all away, groans and complaints sounding from the five. Because her quirk was deemed...highly unfair, Halyn was asked to join Ragdoll where she would be waiting at the halfway point.

Halyn, who tended to act like a startled cat-bowing back, hissing and spitting and all-when scared, had no problem with this.

"Right. Class B will be on the offensive first. Class A will head into the forest in teams of two, one team every three minutes. You'll find name cards at the halfway point. Grab your own, and then come back here! The scarers aren't allowed to make direct contact. They'll just be using their quirks to startle you as best they can." Pixie-Bob explained.

"So get creative! Whichever class makes the other wet their pants more wins!" Tiger declared.

"Since her quirk would be a bit unfair, Leander will be joining Ragdoll at the halfway point." Mandalay said.

Halyn waved to her friends, wishing them luck as Ragdoll dragged her away, already talking the girl's ear off.

It was after Halyn and Ragdoll disappeared into the trees that something registered with Midoriya. With Halyn taken out of the game and the five members of their class in the remedial group forced to do extra lessons, the number of students left taking part from Class A, was now uneven. As the person who drew the number eight lot...that left Midoriya by himself.

With the teams decided, the first group, Tokoyami and Shoji, were sent in. Three minutes after them, Bakugo and Todoroki went, and so on and so forth. About the time the third group was sent into the forest, the forth and fifth following, strange things begun to go down. First, members in certain spots in the forest, were confronted with a poisonous gas that knocked out anyone who breathed it in. Moments later, those still in the starting clearing, begun to smell something burning before black smoke rose over the forest.

Then they begun to appear, one by one.

The League of Villains' Vanguard Action Squad.

Out of nowhere, as if pulled by some unseen force, Pixie-Bob was yanked off her feet, sent flying backwards until someone hit her hard over the head, knocking her unconscious.

"Stay out of our way, kitty cats."

Two villains, a lizard-like man named Spinner, and his comrade, Magne, appeared in the main clearing, Magne having been the one to attack Pixie-Bob. Seeing that there were villains in the camp, Mandalay relayed a message to everyone with the use of her quirk.

" _Everyone! We're under attack by two villains! And there might be more out there! All those who can should get to camp at once! If you encounter an enemy, don't engage! Just retreat!_ "

With the message out, Aizawa left Vlad to watch the students currently inside the lodging in order to head out and help protect those still in the forest. The moment he stepped out of the lodgings, though, he was confronted with a villain named Dabi.

Across the forest in the main clearing, Tiger and Mandalay stood between the students still in the clearing and Spinner and Magne.

"Pleased to meetcha, UA students! We're the League of Villains' Vanguard Action Squad." Spinner declared.

"Should I go ahead and crush her pretty little skull? Should I? What do you guys think?" Magne asked, grinding the end of the long tool they carried into the skull of Pixie-Bob.

"As if I'd let you...!" Tiger growled.

"Wait, wait. Don't be hasty, Big Sis Mag! You too, Tiger, calm down." Spinner said. "Holding power over someone's life is everything! Or don't you believe in following Stain's tenets?!"

"Stain...so these are his followers..!" Ida exclaimed.

"Yep! We sure are! Ah, and we know about _you_ , Four-eyes. You're one of the ones who brought about Stain's end in Hosu City. Let me introduce myself. I'm Spinner." As he introduced himself, Spinner pulled a huge sword off his back that was made from several blades combined into one big one. "And I intend to make _his_ dreams come true."

"That's all well and good, but...that woman lying there, Pixie-Bob...lately, she's started to worry about getting married. Hoping to find some happiness as a woman in this world...and at this age, trying very hard...How dare you scar her face like that and stand there yapping away like it's nothing?" Tiger growled.

"So heroes really do dream of finding ordinary happiness in life?" Spinner questioned, moving in to attack.

"Tiger! I've broadcast the order! Ragdoll will take Leander and make sure the other students are safe. It's our job to hold them back here." Mandalay told her teammate. "Get going, everyone! And remember...no fighting! Lead them, Class President!"

While Ida lead the others back to the lodgings, Midoriya went in search of Kota, knowing exactly where to find the boy. It was at the boy's usual hideout that Midoriya was confronted by a villain that he was forced to fight in order to save Kota. During the confrontation, Midoriya managed to gain a vital piece of information.

The villains' goal.

In order to get the information and make it out a alive, Midoriya ended up seriously damaging his body, managing, barely to keep from breaking his legs. It was a tough battle, one that he was sure he wouldn't have been able to continue if he hadn't succeeded in knocking out the villain. Thankfully, the man would be out of the fight for a while.

Carrying Kota on his back, Midoriya quickly made his way back towards Mandalay. He needed to get a message out to everyone on what the villains where there to do. It was on his way back that he ran into Aizawa, who had discovered that the Dabi he was fighting, had been nothing but a copy. The moment he saw Midoriya, Aizawa knew exactly what Midoriya had been doing. Not that it wasn't painfully obvious.

"Sensei! Glad I found you! It's really bad!" Midoriya started. "There's a lot I've gotta tell you...but..."

"Wait." Aizawa called, trying to get him to slow down.

"First off, there's something Mandalay has to hear. Take Kota with you. He's got a water-based quirk, so please protect him!" Midoriya continued.

"I said wait..."

"Please and thanks!"

" **Wait, Midoriya!** "

Midoriya finally stopped, turning to face Aizawa after he raised his voice.

"Those wounds...you've gone and done it again." Aizawa said.

"Oh...no, but..."

"As I was saying," Aizawa said, cutting Midoriya off. "Tell her **this**."

Aizawa gave Midoriya a message from him to relay to Mandalay so she could broadcast it to all of the students in the forest. Midoriya took the message while Aizawa took Kota in order to return him to the lodgings where Vlad could protect him along with the students currently there.

When Midoriya finally reached the clearing where Tiger and Mandalay were still doing combat, it was just in time to save Mandalay from Spinner. Midoriya managed to break Spinner's sword, shattering it before calling out to Mandalay as he hit the ground rolling, unable to catch himself with his arms broken as they were.

"Mandalay! Kota's safe!" Midoriya called out. "I've got a message from Aizawa-sensei! Use telepathy to tell everyone...tell everyone in classes A and B...that pro hero Eraserhead says it's okay to fight back!

While Mandalay had to question Aizawa's choice in letting the students fight back, she relayed it anyway. At least now they could fight back and defend themselves instead of trying to run from a situation they might not be able to escape else wise.

"Thanks for the message! But, get back to camp, now! Those injuries look nasty!" Mandalay yelled at Midoriya as she continued the fight with Spinner.

"No...sorry! I mean...there's one more thing I need you to relay!" Midoriya called back to her as he made a break for the tree line in order to head further into the forest. "One of the villains' targets...is Ka-chan! Use your Telepathy, please!"

"Ka-chan?! Who's that?! Hold on a second!" Mandalay called to him, but Midoriya wasn't listening.

Magne, seeing that not only did Midoriya know their plans, but was also on their kill list from Shigaraki, attacked Midoriya, but Spinner stopped him by throwing a knife.

"Don't touch him, Big Sis Mag!" Spinner yelled.

"What the big idea?! He's on the high-priority kill list!" Magne yelled back. "What exactly did you come here to do, Spinner?"

"That's something personal for Shigaraki. Stain went out of his way to save that brat and another! That must mean they've got what it takes to be _real_ heroes! And when it come to Stain's will-"

Spinner was cut off when Mandalay, taking advantage of his dropped guard, kicked him across the face, putting him down on the ground.

"And lastly," Midoriya yelled, turning back right at the edge of the trees, making Mandalay look up at him. "Their last target."

What Midoriya told her next, surprised her and suddenly had something else making sense. With the message relayed to Mandalay, Midoriya vanished into the trees, leaving her to broadcast the message to all of the students.

And she did just that.

" _Two of the villains' targets have been identified! The first is a student known as Ka-chan! Ka-chan needs to avoid battle! And don't make any moves alone! Everyone get that! Ka-chan!_ " Mandalay relayed, several students looking up when Bakugo was listed as one of the targets.

Mandalay's next message had Todoroki's blood running cold in his veins.

" _And the second target...Is Leander!_ "

-0-0-0-0-

"What?!"

Across the forest, lost among the trees, Halyn came to a screeching halt when Mandalay's latest message reached her mental ear. Looking up at the night sky above her, Halyn processed that information.

"Me?! Why me?!" Halyn asked herself, then smacked the heel of one hand against her forehead. "Of course! No point in asking yourself why you, Halyn. You know why. My stupid, stupid quirk! It's always the quirk!"

Heaving a sigh, Halyn took off once more, now feeling more tension than she had when a Nomu with power tools coming out of his skin, suddenly attacked her and Ragdoll. Ragdoll, shifting into pro mode, had demanded that Halyn return to camp. After the Hero Killer incident, Halyn hadn't questioned her. Now that she had the go-ahead to fight back, she had headed back to help Ragdoll, only to find splashes of blood and no sign of Ragdoll or the Nomu.

Halyn had a really bad feeling in the pit of her stomach as she attempted to locate Ragdoll. She would have to be careful, think rationally. While she still had her hand-to-hand combat and was clear to use her quirk on these people, she didn't have the back-up of her costume's equipment. Her combat range without the use of her quirk, would be limited.

Already, her head was reeling, trying to figure out the best way to approach all of this. It didn't help that, aside from the Nomu that had attacked her and Ragdoll, she didn't know who was there or what they were capable of.

"Would it have killed Mandalay to provide a little more information?" Halyn questioned herself.

Coming to a stop, Halyn raised her nose to sniff the air. While she didn't have Hound Dog's nose, she did have a better sense of smell than most humans. With all the smoke in the air from the burning trees, though, she couldn't pick up Ragdoll's scent.

"By the gods, Ragdoll...where are you?!"

Halyn was growing more and more concerned that something bad had happened to the woman. She tried to remind herself that Ragdoll was a pro, but that didn't change the fact that she was also human and could be over powered and out numbered. Given the fact that Ragdoll was use to working in a team, it could make the who situation worse.

And the thought alone was enough to send Halyn racing through the trees, searching for the older female. Coming to a clearing, Halyn skidded to a stop, her eyes darting in different directions, trying to figure out how to find Ragdoll while she tried to calm her breathing.

"Where are you?" she muttered lowly.

Rustling in the trees across from her, had Halyn on guard, the girl sliding into a fighting stance, her tail freezing as she waited for an attack or for someone to step into the open. When the latter happened, Halyn tensed up. Out of the trees, stepped a second Nomu. This was was huge, bulky with muscle, had a dark blue and black striped tail sprouting from the base of it's spine and claws sprouting from hands and feet that were covered in blue and black striped fur and that somewhat resembled tiger paws.

But it wasn't the cat-like similarities that had Halyn freezing on the spot, her eyes going wide as they landed, first on tattoo that stretched up the Nomu's exposed side and then something that hung around it's neck. As the Nomu loomed closer and closer, Halyn couldn't uproot her feet from where she stood, her heart beginning to race and pound in her chest. She couldn't believe her eyes. Even as the Nomu swung one large, clawed hand towards her, she could only think one thing.

 _How...?!_

-0-0-0-0-

"Ohh, Spinner! This is all your fault!"

Back in the main clearing where Mandalay and Tiger fought with Magne and Spinner, the heroes had managed to capture the villains, restraining them.

"Cram it! If you want to point a finger...then blame yourself for committing evil acts." Tiger told Magne.

"That's right, Spinner, my little villain." Mandalay agreed from where she sat on Spinner's back, twisting his arms up behind him.

"Huh? Get off, you shameless woman!" Spinner yelled. "Dammit..! Stain will be revived! Got that?! His will lives on here! Thanks to me! I'm gonna purge you corrupt heroes and that four-eyed kid."

"You don't make any sense. And why haven't you shown us your quirk?" Mandalay asked.

"Shaddup! And get off!" Spinner yelled at her.

"Indeed, I'll ask the two of you to kindly step back."

In a swirl of black mist, Kurogiri appeared, managing to free his two comrades from Mandalay and Tiger.

"About time!" Mange snapped at Kurogiri, retrieving the item Tiger had forced her to drop. "Let's go."

"We must wait a moment. One of the Nomus is on it's way here." Kurogiri replied.

Tiger and Mandalay turned as a presence loomed up behind them. They were confronted with a tiger-like Nomu with a mask over it's face and feline ears poking out on either side of it's head. Taken off guard, the two hesitated for a moment, the Nomu attacking in that moment.

"Mandalay! Tiger! Move!"

Not stopping to question the voice, the two pros dived to either side of the Nomu, just in time to avoid being crushed under the Nomu as one of the villains' targets, herself, crashed into the Nomu from behind, driving it forward. It hit the ground face first, sliding across the ground from the sheer force of Halyn's weight hitting it.

Her legs bunched and with a kick off, she jumped away from the Nomu, landing in a crouch just a few yards in front of Mandalay and Tiger. As she stood, they could tell she had been fighting. The skirt she was wearing, was shredded on one side, nearly ripped completely, revealing the short sliders she wore underneath. Her tank top was ripped as well, blood staining spots here and there on the top. She was bruised, had cuts all over her, and her hair had been cut free from it's usual tie somewhere along the way.

"Leander! What are you doing here?!" Mandalay demanded. "Didn't you hear my warning? They're-"

"After me and Bakugo. Yeah, I heard." Halyn said, her eyes remaining locked on the Nomu as it got to it's feet. "But this is a fight I couldn't run from."

"The Nomu?" Mandalay asked, starting forward. "Just leave it to us-"

Mandalay cut off, coming to a stop when Halyn's arm flew out, barring her way forward. Mandalay peered at Halyn's face. She could have sworn that Aizawa said that Halyn was a laid back individual and that, even in the middle of a serious fight to the death, Halyn managed to smile so as to calm her friends and those around her.

At the moment, though, a smile was the last thing anyone would find on Halyn's dead serious expression.

"No, don't. I...I can't let you, Mandalay. Not with this Nomu." Halyn told her.

"What are you talking about, Leander?! Move!" Tiger demanded.

"I can't!"

Mandalay's eyes moved to Halyn's hands as they curled into fist so tight, the skin over her knuckles bleached of all color. Now that she really studied Halyn, she could tell that the girl's back was straighter, all her muscles tense and quivering from the strain.

"Leander, what is it with you and this Nomu?" Mandalay asked, turning her eyes to the Nomu as it turned to face them, Kurogiri, Magne, and Spinner staying behind it.

"That tattoo of five tiger cubs on his side, gotten to celebrate the birth of all five of his children, that locket around his neck, special ordered for his wife and daughter and taken to wear personally after the death of his wife...and the quirk he used against me...a quirk I, personally partially assimilated so many time in my early childhood that I would never forget the feeling of it..." Halyn said softly.

With each word she spoke, Mandalay and Tiger, who knew of Halyn's past from Aizawa, became more and more convinced as to what Halyn's hang up with the Nomu was. Her next words had chills traveling down their spines as well as confirmed their fears.

"That creature, at one time...was my father."

END

Kyandi: For those of you who questioned what became of Halyn's father...there you go.

Halyn: It was a nasty surprise.

Kyandi: Oh that, I have no doubt. I would have probably reacted the same way.

Halyn: Let us see if anyone can guess what happens next.

Kyandi: I'm sure a few of them can guess.

Halyn: If you can't, don't feel bad.

Kyandi: With that said, everyone enjoy and review because the suspense is just going to keep building.

Halyn: We'll be right back.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	21. Slipping Through His Fingers

Kyandi: We have returned with more action and suspense for you all!

Halyn: This chapter is going to be a little emotional.

Kyandi: What can I say...I excel at writing that stuff. If I can't jerk a heart or two, then what good am I as a writer?

Halyn: You still manage to wrangle a laugh or two.

Kyandi: True, very true. Well, let's just jump right in here. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 21 Slipping Through His Fingers

" _That creature, at one time...was my father._ "

With the declaration, Mandalay and Tiger stared at the ridge line of Halyn's shoulders as the Nomu finally faced Halyn, a low, tiger-like growl leaving it. A growl left Halyn in reply, her tail frizzing out.

"Are you sure, Leander?" Mandalay asked.

"I'm positive. I know my father's quirk better, perhaps, than I know my own." Halyn replied. "And here I thought...I thought he just didn't want to see me."

Halyn's fists begun to tremble from how hard she gripped them. Any tighter and Mandalay was sure that Halyn's nails would cause her palms to bleed. Mandalay stepped up to the girl's side, laying a hand on her shoulder, trying to get the girl to step back, but Halyn wouldn't budge.

"Leave it to us, Leander. Head back to camp. Eraserhead and Vlad King should be there." Mandalay told her.

"No. That _thing_ was my father, Mandalay! Don't you see? **I** have to deal with it. He's my responsibility. I can't stand back and allow someone else take care of something that should fall only on my and my brothers' shoulders. What kind of daughter would I be if I did?!"

Mandalay wished she could deny how Halyn felt, but having been in a situation where she had to take on the responsibility of her little cousin after the death of his parents, she understood how Halyn could feel responsible for her father. Turning to look at the Nomu and then back at the girl, Mandalay had conflicting feelings. On one hand, as a pro, she knew that Halyn needed to be protected, both as a student and as a target. On the other hand...the look on Halyn's face had her hesitant to step into this.

Then Halyn fixed her eyes on Mandalay.

"I know three of the quirks this Nomu possesses, am on intimate terms with one. He fights and moves just as my father did. I **can** fight him, Mandalay. I _**will**_ fight him. I refuse to sit back and watch another not only be the one to deal with him, but to get hurt doing so." Halyn told her firmly, her eyes relaying to Mandalay the seriousness with which the girl was speaking. "Not to mention...Mandalay, he has a quirk that allows him to teleport from one location to another. Unless you know how he moves, it would be difficult for you to stop him."

Mandalay knew she had a point, but she wasn't quite ready to admit it. She could completely see what Aizawa had meant when he said that Halyn was a devastatingly clever person. So clever, that she wouldn't enter a fight if she didn't think she could win it.

"You have a plan." Mandalay stated.

Halyn gave her a single nod. Mandalay's eyes turned then, going to the villains beyond the Nomu. She highly doubted the three would stay put while she and Tiger dealt with the Nomu and if the Nomu was as tricky as Halyn made him out to be...damn it all, Mandalay knew Halyn was right. Mandalay quickly sent out a telepathic broadcast to Aizawa, explaining the situation quickly and requesting back up. Until his arrival, Mandalay would have to have Halyn's back while dealing with other villains.

"Be careful. They are after you." Mandalay told her.

"Let me get close enough and this fight will end before it begins." Halyn replied, turning her eyes back to the Nomu.

"Mandalay, my friend." Tiger protested.

"I know, but we don't have the leisure of taking the time to force her to leave." Mandalay replied as she and Tiger flanked Halyn.

"He's coming." Halyn called just before the Nomu moved.

In Mandalay and Tiger's opinions, the Nomu struck like lightning, moving much like a tiger would when pouncing on its prey. Just before he reached Halyn, a noise like a mix of a cat's furious yowl and a war cry, left Halyn and she surged forward, meeting the Nomu's powerful fist with her own powerful kick. The forces ended up being similar in strength, the two sending each other sliding back. Halyn was the first to recover, the girl surging forward once more. In a flash of dancing electrical bolts, the Nomu vanished, reappearing right behind Halyn.

But the girl was prepared, dropping to the ground to avoid a blow to the head that would have been devastating. A powerful sweep of the leg took out the Nomu's legs, sending the large creature, crashing to the ground. Halyn pounced, but once again, the Nomu vanished in a flash of electrical bolts.

"This thing is grating." Halyn remarked, her legs bending.

A moment later, she sprang into the air as, once again, the Nomu appeared behind her. The swiping claws passed under Halyn harmlessly, but the kick she aimed for it's face, wasn't so harmless. It landed with a resounding crack that had the monster stumbling back from her. A tap of a hand on the ground and Halyn flipped back onto her feet.

While one would suspect Halyn to have conflicting emotions when faced with the monster-fied remains of her father, Halyn seemed calm, collective, and, above all, serious. It was almost as if the girl didn't care at all that it was her father. Mandalay knew better. If she didn't care, she wouldn't have stopped Mandalay and Tiger from dealing with the Nomu.

"Do not kill her! Capture her!" Kurogiri called out to the Nomu.

"Tch! Not happening." Halyn muttered, dodging a reach for her person.

She needed to get close, needed to get inside the Nomu's reach. She hated doing what she was about to do, hated the thought of doing this to what use to be her father, but...she didn't have a choice. She couldn't let the Nomu go, knowing that it would just be used to hurt someone else. It was either the mindless creature her father had become, or possibly thousands of innocent people, her friends, and those at the camp.

The choice, while hard to swallow, was clear.

Mandalay knew, the moment she saw Halyn slip inside the Nomu's guard and stretch bare hands towards Nomu, her constantly present gloves now missing, what the girl had planned.

"Leander, don't!" Mandalay cried, turning to stop Halyn, only to be forced back by Kurogiri.

Halyn ignored her call, reaching to cup the Nomu's face with her bare hands, forcing herself to ignore the jolt of skin-on-skin contact with her palms.

"I'm sorry, Father." Halyn said lowly.

A moment later, the Nomu let out a howl of pain, dropping to it's knees before Halyn. Mandalay didn't know if it was because of the sheer number of quirks the girl was trying to take in at once, but she watched as the veins on Halyn's wrist begun to glow, the glow traveling up her arms to about mid-bicep. And then there was Halyn's expression.

Halyn's expression, in that moment, was a mix of pain and heartbreak.

The Nomu tried to pry her hands from it's face, but the longer she continued to hold on, the weaker it's struggle became, until it fell limp in her grip. Only Halyn's hold on the Nomu's head, kept it from hitting the ground. Holding on to it's mask with one hand, to keep it up, she reached out and pulled the locket from around its neck.

" _Riposa ora, padre_." Halyn muttered lowly...before plunging a knife into the Nomu's heart.

She would not let villains continue to use her father for such purposes, would not let him continue on, trapped as he was. Softly, she eased the now dead Nomu to the ground before she, herself, fell to one knee, her body wanting to shut down from the sheer internal pain. Normally, fully taking in a single quirk was like a mild irritant to her body-slightly painful, but nothing she couldn't handle-but this Nomu...it had six quirks, bringing Halyn's permanently assimilated quirks to a whomping seven.

Two above her body's limit.

It felt like something was trying to shred it's way through her insides, ripping and tearing at everything it came in contact with. And Halyn could already tell, with the Nomu now dead, that she couldn't cast off even one of the quirks. That had to mean that the original owners were now all dead.

With the Nomu dead and the two pro heroes now closing ranks around Halyn who now had six very troublesome quirks at her disposal, Kurogiri couldn't take the chance. He gathered Spinner and Magne and vanished within his warp gate. When he was gone, Mandalay crouched next to Halyn who was trembling from the effort to fight back the pain.

"Leander?" Mandalay asked, trying to judge the girl's condition.

Halyn latched onto to Mandalay's arm then, making the woman look at her face. To her surprise, fur had begun to sprout on Halyn's face, blue and black strips now decorating parts of Halyn's face and arms. Halyn's pupils were narrowing into slits, like a cat's, nails turning to claws as her tail bushed out. Mandalay was sure this was the quirk that had given the Nomu its tiger-like appearance.

"He's going after Ka-chan."

That was all Halyn said before, in a flash of electrical bolts, she vanished. Mandalay and Tiger spun on the spot, searching for Halyn and calling her name, but the girl was gone.

This wasn't going to end well.

-0-0-0-0-

Somewhere along the line of his running through the forest, Midoriya came across Shoji and Tokoyami, the latter having lost control of his quirk after seeing a villain take off one replica of Shoji's Dupliarms. While it had hurt the boy, it hadn't done any critical damage to Shoji, but Tokoyami couldn't take it either way. With his quirk rampaging through the darkness of the forest, Shoji and Midoriya acted as bait to lure Dark Shadow through the forest until they found Bakugo and Todoroki, who were facing the very villain that had injured Shoji in the first place.

In the course of following Shoji and Midoriya, the villain, Moonfish, got in Dark Shadow's way and was promptly put down for it, his teeth ripped from his mouth in order to disable his quirk. With Moonfish taken care of, Bakugo and Todoroki teamed up to use their quirks to drive Dark Shadow back into Tokoyami, giving the boy control of his quirk once more.

Though Tokoyami felt guilty for Shoji being injured, something Shoji waved off quickly, he joined forces with Midoriya, Shoji, and Todoroki, who was dragging a member of Class B around on his back, in order to defend Bakugo and get him back to camp and to the pro's, and, hopefully, find Halyn along the way.

Not that Bakugo appreciated the guard detail.

The group ignored him, though and started through the forest, Shoji, who was carrying a badly beaten Midoriya on his back, in the lead, Todoroki after him, Bakugo just behind him, and Tokoyami bringing up the rear. Moving like this, trying hard to cover their bases, they made their way through the forest, making a straight shot for the camp. Along the way, they came across Uraraka and Asui, who were in the middle of a confrontation with a female villain.

Upon their arrival, they found Uraraka pinning the girl, but the girl, Toga, had managed to drive some kind of needle into Uraraka's thigh. The moment she saw the group of approaching boys, Toga decided it was best to high-tail it out of there.

"Who was that girl?" Midoriya asked as they finally came close enough to Uraraka and Asui.

"A villain. She was nuts." Uraraka answered.

"Uraraka, you're hurt!" Midoriya exclaimed seeing the cut in Uraraka's left bicep.

"I'm fine. I can walk, anyway...but look at you, Deku!" Uraraka pointed out.

"This is no time to stand around. Let's keep moving." Shoji suggested, butting into the conversation.

"I'm just glad you two are okay. Oh, I know! Come with us! We're guarding Ka-chan and heading for camp while looking for Ha-chan." Midoriya said.

Both girls leaned to the side, peering past Shoji and Todoroki.

"Guarding Bakugo?" Asui asked. "Then where is he?"

"Whaddya mean? He's right behind us..."

Midoriya cut off as he twisted around only to find that both Bakugo and Tokoyami were no where in sight. In a crisis, like the one they currently found themselves in, they had tried their hardest to avoid being careless in any way.

That was not how it turned out.

"Looking for **him**? I've taken him. With my magic."

The new voice had them all looking up into the tree tops where another villain, this one called Mr. Compress, stood, idly tossing two small marbles in his hand. Catching them, he held them out where they could see them.

"He's not a resource that belongs on the heroes' side. We're going to put him on a stage where he can really shine. As for the girl...she's wanted for other reasons." Mr. Compress said.

"Give him back!" Midoriya yelled.

"'Give him back'? What an odd thing to say. Bakugo doesn't **belong** to anyone. He's his own man, you egotist!" Mr. Compress replied.

Todoroki moved then, trying to capture Mr. Compress with his ice, only to miss.

"We're just a bit fanatical when it comes to our values. All we wish is to show him that there are **other ways**. Because you kids today...you have your values chosen for you." Mr. Compress remarked.

"There was no need to even confront us...he's mocking us." Todoroki remarked, not the least bit pleased with it.

"Sorry for my bad habit...I'm an entertainer at heart. Taking Tokoyami was just a bit of ablibbing. Moonfish...old "Bladetooth". Even a natural-born homicidal maniac like him, whose death row appeal was shot down, was handily tramped by your rampaging friend. So I decided to take him too!" Mr. Compress told them.

"You can't have them, you jerk!" Midoriya yelled.

"Uraraka, take care of him!" Todoroki said, shrugging off the boy on his back.

Uraraka caught the boy and in the next moment, Todoroki produced a huge wall of ice in the attempt to catch Compress, but the man easily slipped past the attempt, seemingly tucking the two small marbles that were suppose to be Bakugo and Tokoyami, into his pocket.

"Sorry, but deception and running away are actually my own specialties! I can't go toe-to-toe with heroes in training." Compress told them, before reaching up to turn on the transceiver that would allow him to speak to his comrades. "Vanguard Action Squad! One of the targets has been successfully captured! Short though it was, my part of the mission has come to an end! Only the girl remains. As planned, I'll be at the evacuation point within five minutes of this transmission!"

"Only Halyn remains?" Todoroki questioned.

"No way! They're...they're going after Ha-chan, now..." Midoriya gasped.

"Not gonna happen!" Todoroki jumped forward trying to capture Compress, but he couldn't get him.

Cursing to himself, Todoroki grit his teeth. Compress had said that "only the girl remains". It meant that they hadn't managed to capture Halyn yet. Todoroki felt anxiety building inside him. He couldn't help but think that he should have remained with Halyn. If he had, he wouldn't be nearly out of his mind wondering where she could be. He could only hope that either she had made it back to camp and thus was safe with Aizawa and Vlad King, or that they found her before the villains did.

With that, and the thought of getting their friends back, in their heads, Midoriya and his group chased Mr. Compress, who proved to be insanely fast.

"That masked guy's quick!" Todoroki gasped as they ran.

"If only we had Ida!" Uraraka agreed.

"We can't...give up...! Gotta catch up...and get them back!" Midoriya gritted out.

"But we're eating his dust at this rate." Shoji replied.

"Uraraka! Make us float! Quickly! And then...Asui...throw us with your tongue as hard as you can! With as much strength as one of my punches! Make us really fly! Shoji...you can correct our course with your arms in midair. Tow us along behind you! Keep an eye on us, Uraraka. When it looks like we've closed the gap...release us!" Midoriya said, coming up with a plan on the spot.

"I see. Kinda like human cannonballs." Shoji remarked.

"Hold on, Deku. Can you even move with those wounds?!" Uraraka questioned, concerned for her friend.

Todoroki glanced at Midoriya. He could see Uraraka's point. With the amount of damage and injuries, he was sure that Midoriya could pass out at any second. He wasn't Halyn, after all, who didn't perceive pain as pain.

"You stay behind. You're in too much pain to-"

"Forget the pain." Midoriya said, cutting off Todoroki. "I can move...quickly, now!"

"Deku, at least use this."

Uraraka pulled off her button down shirt, shredding it in order to make splints for Midoriya's arms. Once done, they set up to enact Midoriya's plan.

"We're good, Tsuyu." Uraraka said.

"You better save them." Asui told them before she launched them into the air.

Hearing the yells of the three boys as they were sent rocketing through the air, Compress turned, freaking out when he basically came face to face with three rapidly approaching boys, all determined to take his captives back. The three crashed, hard, into Compress and with Uraraka releasing her quirk, they went flying towards the ground, the three landing on top of Compress when they finally hit the ground.

Upon landing, they found they had landed right in the middle of the evacuation location for the villains. Three other villains, Toga along with Dabi and a villain named Twice were waiting there. There was only a moment of hesitation before Dabi acted, calling out to Compress to move it. Without waiting for Compress to move, Dabi attacked, blue flames rushing the three students, who all dodged as best they could. Shoji and Midoriya still ended up taking damage, though.

Twice took the chance to try to attack Todoroki from behind, but Todoroki attacked with his ice, defending himself and warding off Twice. Toga jumped into the fray, attacking Midoriya with maniac glee. Leaving the two to deal with the three boys, Compress showed himself to have come out of Dabi's attack in one piece.

"Ouch...to think they'd chase us by air! What a flight of fancy." Compress remarked as he approached Dabi.

"You got Bakugo?" Dabi asked.

"Naturally."

Compress dug in his pocket but came up empty. He turned as Shoji called to Todoroki and Midoriya to run.

"I'm not quite sure what your quirk is, but from the way you were showing off before...I know that **these** things from your right pocket are Bakugo and Tokoyami, right, **Entertainer**?" Shoji asked, showing off the two marbles he had managed to loot from Compress's pocket.

"Ho ho! Well done, indeed. So quickly, too! There's no finer pickpocket than one with six arms, I suppose!" Compress remarked, applauding Shoji.

"You fool..." Dabi snapped, moving to follow the three boys as they started to retreat.

"No. Wait." Compress said, holding out an arm to stop Dabi.

All three boys changed their direction as a Nomu appeared from the trees, right in their path. They were only forced to come to a halt as Kurogiri appeared before them.

"Kurogiri-"

"Be on guard! **She's** coming." Kurogiri called in warning, cutting off Dabi.

"She, who?" Dabi asked.

A low growl was the only warning Dabi and Compress got. Turning, Dabi only caught sight of a fast approaching shin before it connected with him, knocking him off his feet and slamming him into Compress before sending both of them flying into a tree. With a crack, the tree broke in two. Shocked, all eyes turned to the person now balanced on one, tiger-striped fur covered leg.

"Halyn!" Todoroki called, partly glad to see her, but also nervous that she was there when the villains were after her too.

The glad side of him soon died, though, when he caught sight of her face and expression. There was an almost feral cat look to her face with the slit pupils and the tiger-striped fur sprouting over her cheeks. She had lost the rest of her skirt somewhere along her chase of Kurogiri, but all the cuts and bruises on her skin were long gone. Still, with the wildness of her hair about her, the dead serious look in her eyes, the change in her appearance, and it was almost...terrifying to look at her.

There was an overly alert stillness to her as she stood there. Even her tail remain frozen in place. Only her eyes shifted as Dabi and Compress pushed themselves free of the tree she had kicked them into. Dabi got to his feet, his eyes shifting to her.

"This is the girl we're after, right?" Dabi asked.

"It is." Kurogiri confirmed.

"Good."

Dabi started towards Halyn, the girl's tail only giving the barest of flickers before she shifted into a crouch, both clawed hands braced on the ground, a growl rumbling out of her throat in warning.

"Dabi, don't!" Kurogiri warned.

"We have to nab her too." Dabi retorted.

"Yes, but, the other Nomu we brought...she brought it down by herself." Kurogiri tried to warn, Dabi drawing closer and closer to Halyn who had yet to budge.

"And?"

Dabi really didn't care if she was capable of taking down one of the Nomus. A Nomu couldn't think for itself, therefor, could be outsmarted. Dabi believed himself smart enough to deal with one little girl.

"That's not it! She...she assimilated all six of the Nomu's quirks!"

Dabi froze when Kurogiri called this out, but it was too late. He was already well within Halyn's range. Faster than her friends had seen her move yet, Halyn pounced, driving a knee into Dabi's chin. A twist and she swung the other leg out to knock him off his feet. One of her feet barely touched the ground before Twice and Compress closed in on her. A hop on the leg launched her back into the air, allowing her two avoid the two and land on their heads.

Using them as a spring board, she jumped away from them, flipping once to land in a crouch beside her friends.

"Halyn-"

"Are the three of you alright?" Halyn asked, her tone clipped as she cut Todoroki off.

"Yeah, but you need to run, Ha-ch-"

"And Ka-chan?" Halyn asked, cutting off Midoriya this time.

"I got him, right here." Shoji told her, holding up the marble.

Halyn only spared it a flickering glance before her eyes returned to the villains before them. Her eyes scanned over the villains before returning to the marbles. Compress was far to relaxed for them to have actually managed to get Bakugo back. Something wasn't right and Halyn had a feeling she knew what it was.

"Those are fake."

All eyes turned to Halyn, purple eyes firmly set on Compress, her whole body freezing. Todoroki knew that stance. She was getting ready to pounce. Compress laughing, drew Todoroki's attention from Halyn and back to him.

"Yes...as you appear so pleased with yourselves as to want to cut and run, let me give you a little reward." Compress said, reaching up to remove his mask enough to show half of his ski mask covered face. "It's a bad habit of mine, but the girl is right. One of the tenets of magic states that flaunting a particular object is inevitably part of the trick."

With that, Compress stuck out his tongue, showing the two marbles nestled carefully in the center of the pink muscle. As soon as he showed off those, the two marbles in Shoji's hands turned back into the chunks of Todoroki's ice that Compress had used to make the marbles. Compress replaced his mask.

"That ice attack was the perfect chance to prepare a few **decoys**. I put them in my right pocket, for later. Upon noticing the objects in my right hand enter my right pocket, you would naturally be excited enough to give chase. That you figured it out so easily...you are as clever as rumors portray you, young lady." Compress said, the last part aimed at Halyn.

"You were far too relaxed for someone who just supposedly lost the hostage he and his comrades had just risked a lot to procure. I'm fifteen, not blind." Halyn replied.

Compress applauded her in an a mix of being impressed and being mocking. Halyn's tail twitched once. Her three friends noticed the slight shifting in her body. Todoroki flew forward to grab her before she could move, but, in a flash of electrical bolts, Halyn vanished. In the next breath, she appeared next to Compress, her leg already swinging. She hit him hard in the side, sending him flying off his feet. Dabi turned on her, but in another flash, she was gone. When she reappeared, it was over Dabi's head, the girl dropping on him only to vanish once more as Twice tried to grab her.

"Kurogiri! How many quirks did she take from that Nomu again?!" Dabi demanded.

"Six!" Kurogiri called out.

Halyn's friends watched as Halyn popped in and out of existence, attacking the villains and dodging them. When Todoroki heard what Kurogiri said in answer, he tensed. Halyn had told him that she couldn't assimilate more than five at a time without completely shooting her body's limit in the face and causing herself a world of pain. Because she permanently had Flame Lash's quirk, that number was reduced to four. For her to take in six?!

Todoroki could already tell the pain in her eyes and in the way her body jerked now and then before she reined it back in.

"We have to stop her!" Todoroki told his friends. "Halyn can't assimilate more than five quirks without pushing her body past it's limit."

Midoriya and Shoji's eyes widened. They had to get Halyn out of there before her body caught up with her and she crashed. They also had to get Bakugo and Tokoyami back while getting Halyn to safety. They were just about to act on this when Dabi, using more power than he should, finally hit Halyn, knocking her back in a blast of blue and black flames.

"Ha-chan!" Midoriya called.

"You fool! We're suppose to bring her back unharmed!" Compress yelled at Dabi.

"Wait." Kurogiri said as the smoke begun to clear. Out of the smoke came Halyn, the burns on her body starting to heal themselves. "One of the quirks the Nomu had was a self-healing quirk."

Todoroki turned his eyes to Halyn. Sure enough, all her injuries were healing themselves. But it wasn't her external injuries Todoroki was concerned about. He could see the trembling in her limbs. Halyn was pushing herself too far.

And Dabi noticed it.

Grinning, instead of attacking Halyn, he turned his flames on Todoroki, Midoriya, and Shoji. Halyn's eyes widened, and, in the next moment, she was all that stood between her friends and the flame. Crossing her arms over her face, she braced herself, taking the full damage of the flames.

"Halyn!" Todoroki yelled.

Apparently the girl had been smart enough to wear fire-proof undergarments. She had probably started wearing them all the time now. In case she needed to borrow part of Todoroki's power. The rest of her clothes, though, were history. The majority of the front half of her body was badly burned, the trembling increasing as her body tried to deal with the mix of external and internal damage and the multiple quirks she had crammed into her system.

As they watched, the burns begun to heal, but healing from such an extreme degree of damage had chewed away at the last bit of her energy.

"Halyn?" Todoroki called.

"I'm sorry...Shoto...past...my...limit..."

Todoroki rush forward to catch Halyn as she teetered on her feet before collapsing, already falling unconscious, something falling from her hand, but Kurogiri beat him to it, his warp gate catching her and warping her right into Dabi's arms. The girl fell limply into Dabi's arms, Dabi shifting her until she was tucked under one arm. The tiger-striped fur had vanished as the quirk responsible for it was forced to deactivate with her losing consciousness.

"You heroes...some of you are so predictable. Throwing yourselves in the way like some idiotic martyr." Dabi remarked, looking down at Halyn's limp form.

"Let go of her!" Todoroki growled.

The grin that curled Dabi's lips was nothing but devious. He was mocking Todoroki and the younger boy knew it.

"We have our final target. Let's be off, Dabi." Kurogiri called, opening warp gates through which the Nomu, Twice, and Toga vanished. Dabi, with Halyn tucked under one arm and Compress, with Bakugo and Tokoyami trapped in marbles, started through their gate. Compress turned to bow to them.

"And this is where I leave you-"

Compress was cut off as a laser was suddenly shot from the bushes, hitting him across the mask. It broke the mask and caused Compress to spit out the two marbles in his mouth. The laser was Aoyama's attempt to help and had Dabi halting. Todoroki, Shoji, and Midoriya darted forward, but Midoriya hit the ground rolling from pain.

Shoji and Todoroki each made a grab for one of the marbles, Shoji snatching his, but right before Todoroki could grab his and then make a grab for Halyn, Dabi snatched the marble, the arm holding Halyn, vanishing into the gate to pass her off to someone else on the other side.

"How sad for you, Todoroki Shoto." Dabi mocked, sinking further into the gate. "It's him. Go ahead and release them."

Compress did as told, releasing Bakugo and Tokoyami with a snap of his fingers. Midoriya tried to make it to the gate before it closed, Bakugo vanishing inside, but he couldn't. With a swirl, the villains vanished, carrying away with them both Bakugo and Halyn. Todoroki stared at the spot where he had watched Halyn slip out of his fingers. With a curse under his breath, he banged a fist against the ground, something laying there, catching his eyes.

Reaching out and picking it up, he found a silver locket in his hand, the chain broken, and a tiger and her cub, etched into the front. He had seen the locket in passing before and knew it was Halyn's. Her father had gone and had two made; one for Halyn and one for her mother. To celebrate the connect between a mother and her daughter. Now it was all he had left of Halyn.

How could he have let her slip away so easily?

Across the forest, the flames were put out and all of the students rounded up as help finally arrived after Vlad got word out. Out of forty-one students, fifteen were in critical condition thanks to the gas one villain was able to manipulate, eleven others had injuries of varying degrees, and thirteen managed to get by without a scratch on them.

And two were missing.

Of the six pro heroes on site, one had suffered a serious injury to the head and another couldn't be found and had only left behind a massive amount of blood lost. On the other hand, three of the villains were captured and the others had vanished without a trace.

Come the next day, the media swarmed the gates of UA, demanding answers. From within the closed doors of UA, the teachers discussed what they had to do.

"We established the training camp to prepare for the battle against the villains, and then they attacked it. The irony of it is embarrassing." Nezu said, speaking to All might, Midnight, Snipe, and Present Mic. "This whole "Villain Revival"...we took it too lightly. They've already begun **their** war. The war to destroy our hero society."

"Even if we'd taken it more seriously, could we have prevented this relentless flurry of attacks? Most organized crime has been eliminated since the rise of All Might, so all that's left is the best of the worst." Midnight remarked.

"Basically, we got too complacent in this peaceful era. Otherwise there'd be no need for **preparations** when we realized what was happening." Present Mic added.

"I'm just mad about how useless I was. I was relaxing in the bath while they were out there fighting for their lives!" All Might said, his guilt and anger causing a cloud of doom to hang over him.

"I reckon we can't pretend to be undaunted no longer...like how we went and held the Sports Festival just after that other attack. Lettin' two students get wrangled is one serious failure for UA." Snipe agreed. "Wasn't just Bakugo and Leander those varmints stole. They took away the public's trust in us heroes."

"And the media's having a field day censuring UA. We can assume that they intentionally targeted Bakugo because that crazed, violent image of him at the Sports Festival was widely disseminated. If they are actually able to win him over, then this educational institution is finished." Nezu said. "And then there is Leander..."

All five of the staff members looked down. They had heard the report from Mandalay and Tiger of how Halyn had confronted a Nomu she had believed to have previously been her father. Tests run on the body of the dead Nomu in question, had proved the girl's suspicions to be correct. To make matters worse, the girl had pushed herself past her limits in order to drain every last drop of quirk power from the Nomu and kill it in order to spare both those around her and her father. The girl had put the well being and safety of others over her own heart and she had ended up being taken while defending her friends like a true hero.

"It is obvious they want her quirk." Nezu said.

"But she would never be convinced to join them." Present Mic said.

"Leander is a lot of things, but she ain't no villain." Snipe added. "She'd rather be shot in the face then join 'em."

"Unless they had a quirk user with a mind control or brain washing quirk." Midnight added.

They all knew that Halyn was one hundred percent devoted to life as a hero. She would never turn to being a villain of her own free will. But if it was really All for One behind the League of Villains, All Might had different concerns in mind.

If All for One couldn't get Halyn to join them...he would merely take her quirk from her.

Even if they managed to get her back, she might no longer trust the system, trust heroes. They could lose one of their most promising students, one way or the other.

"Speaking of lost trust, this seems like the right time to bring something up. It's absolutely clear at this point. We have a mole!" Present Mic said. "Only we teachers and the Pussycats knew about the training location! But we have to consider other suspects. If a **student** used the GPS function on his or her phone, then-"

"Cut it out, Mic." Midnight said, cutting him off.

"Like hell I will! We have to take care of this, here and now!" Present Mic insisted.

"Can you even cough up proof that you're in the clear? We can't even declare that one of **us** ain't the traitor! Once we start suspectin' each other and jumpin' at shadows, we'll destroy ourselves from the inside. If we're searchin' for a mole, we shouldn't do it in a panic." Snipe said.

"For what it's worth, I happen to trust all of you. That said, I have no clear way to prove my own innocence." Nezu added in. "Anyhow, the task at hand is to ensure the students' safety. In light of this potential mole...there's something I've been considering for a while now. That is-"

Just then, All Might's phone went off, his ringtone filling the room. Excusing himself, he stepped out of the room.

"Sorry. What's up, Tsukauchi?" All Might asked, answering his phone.

" _I'm getting statements from your two colleagues right now, but we've got a shocking development in the case! We may have pinpointed the League of Villains' hideout._ "

And thus started the planning for the rescue of Bakugo and Halyn.

But there was no telling what shape either would be in.

-0-0-0-0-

" _ **Urk!**_ "

Pain, far too much pain.

Halyn hadn't felt this way since she had spent all those months in Flame Lash's grip. Every inch of her body felt like it was on fire. She couldn't lift a single part of her body, her limbs felt like lead. Not that she could have even if they didn't feel that way. She was sure that she was bound to whatever she was laying on. She could also tell that she had no clothes on and was draped only in a sheet.

Even in horrible pain, barely conscious, and everything becoming more and more blurry by the second, her mind was still focused on gathering as many details as she could. Which wasn't a lot. She had pushed her body's limits with her quirk too far, and now her body was consumed in a high fever, trying to fight to adapt while hating her at the same time.

And then there was **him**.

With her brain and eyesight blurry from the fever and whatever drug they were pumping into her system through an I.V., she never caught sight of him, not clearly, but she knew he was there. A man who had attempted, quite a few times already, to pull her quirk from her like she did to others. Because that was how her quirk worked as well, she fought it, refusing to let even a single one of the quirks within her to be pulled free.

While she would have gladly given up all the assimilated quirks she had, she couldn't do that without giving up her own in the process. So she fought. She fought against the tug on her quirk, refusing to let it be yanked out of her body. Somewhere in the haze surrounding her brain, she could have sworn she heard a chuckle.

Opening her eyes, she only perceived hazy, blurred shapes around her, her brain too over heated by the fever. Then she saw the shape of a person leaning over her. Her body protested, but she tensed, preparing herself for something...anything.

"Quite the fascinating child you are with a quirk so much like my own that you can even fight me and keep hold of your quirk."

If Halyn had to describe the voice, it was, well, charming, but something about it had every hair on her body standing on end. She didn't like it, didn't like **him**.

"And such fierce determination in your eyes, even when I'm sure you cannot see straight." he added.

Halyn jerked to the side when she felt a hand brush her hair out of her face. She didn't want to be touched in any way. Another chuckle left the man as he pulled his hand back.

"Determination much like that of All Might." he added.

"All Might?"

Halyn couldn't help speaking at the sound of one of her teachers' names. She was sure they were all concerned about her at the moment. Her and Bakugo.

"Ah, yes...he is one of your teachers, now, isn't he? Quite amusing, don't you think? My greatest enemy ends up mentoring and teaching someone with a quirk so much like my own it should cause him pain every time he sees you. After all, I am the one responsible for his current state."

Halyn's eyes shifted, trying to focus on the man's face as he spoke, but she couldn't get her sight to clear.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Halyn asked, trying to focus enough to put the words together into a sentence.

"My dear, I am the one known as All for One. As for what I want from you...Originally, it was your quirk I sought, but, now, I do believe you may serve a different, and better, use. Yes. You will do, perfectly." The man, All for One as he called himself, came closer to her, now leaning right over her. "Before that, we must swap out a few of these pesky, extra quirks inside you for a better combination suited for Tomura's needs."

Halyn opened her mouth to say something, but only a strangle cry left her lips as she felt his quirk reach inside to start yanking out quirks. He wasn't aiming for her quirk anymore, but for the others she had assimilated. One at a time, he pulled out a few, swapping them out with quirks stronger, or better "suited" for his purposes. Halyn rebelled against her restraints, trying to break free, but she was far too weakened.

" **Ack!** Stop...Stop!" she cried as he continued to work.

"Come now, my dear. You survived Flame Lash and all his infamous cruelty. You can survive this." All for One told her

"How...how do you...know about that?" Halyn managed to asked past gritted teeth.

"I know much about you, Leander Halyn. More than you probably know, yourself." he told her. "Now, quiet yourself. We must make you into the perfect bride for Shigaraki Tomura."

Bride?

What was with people and wanting her to be with their successors?!

Halyn didn't have long to consider that before she was in too much pain to focus. Before she lost consciousness, again, she had only one thought.

 _Help...Shoto..._

END

Kyandi: Because Halyn is...occupied, Uraraka is going to be helping me.

Uraraka: Oh, I hope Ha-chan will be alright.

Kyandi: She's strong, so she'll be fine.

Uraraka: Are you sure?

Kyandi: We'll see, won't we?

Uraraka: I suppose, but that's doesn't make me worry less.

Kyandi: Well, that's what makes you one of her friends. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review.

Uraraka: We'll be right back.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	22. Blood Tells The Truth

Kyandi: Hello again! Because Halyn is still rather...tied up, Uraraka has kindly joined me, once again.

Uraraka: This chapter is suppose to have your biggest reveal for Ha-chan, isn't it?

Kyandi: Yep. In this chapter, all of you get to find out Halyn's biggest secret. So big...even she doesn't know it.

Uraraka: How is that her secret then?

Kyandi: Just because you don't know the secret about yourself, doesn't mean it's not still your secret.

Uraraka: I suppose...

Kyandi: Anyway, this is a big of lengthy chapter, so let's jump in. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Uraraka: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia. Is that right?

Kyandi: You're great.

Chapter 22 Blood Tells Truths

For two days after the attack on the training camp, Midoriya remained in a hospital close to the training camp, overcome by a high fever and pain. During that time, Recovery Girl visited him to fix as much as she could and police officers interviewed him. Not that he could remember any of that when he finally came to.

For a long moment, he just laid there, staring up at the ceiling, trying to comprehend everything. He didn't get silence much longer as his door opened revealing Kaminari.

"Hey, Midoriya! Looks like you're awake." he said, calling in the others. A majority of Class A crowded into the room. "You see what's on TV?! The media's all over the school."

"Even worse than back in spring." Sato added.

"I caused so much trouble for you, Midoriya.." Tokoyami said, trailing off as he looked at the floor.

"Nah...I'm the one who should be sorry." Midoriya told him. "Is everyone from Class A here?"

"No...Jiro and Hagakure are still unconscious, ever since being knocked out by that gas. And Yaoyorozu received a terrible head wound. She's here at the hospital. Apparently, she only just regained consciousness yesterday, so beside those three..." Ida trailed off.

"All **fifteen** of us came." Uraraka finished for him.

"Of course, Halyn and Bakugo's not here." Todoroki added, his voice bitter as he spoke Halyn's name.

"Whoa, Todoroki..." Mina scolded, trying to get Todoroki to be quiet and not upset Midoriya.

But it was too late. Midoriya already felt bad. Todoroki didn't have to say a word.

"Recently...All Might told me something. About how sometimes we just can't reach some people who need saving, so we've gotta do our best to save those we **can** reach. But I... **could** reach him. Both of them. All I had to do was save them! My quirk...is built just for that. But then it turned out like Aizawa-sensei said it would...I couldn't move my body..." Midoriya said, frustrated tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Then let's go save them **now**." Kirishima said, much to the surprise of many of his classmates. "Todoroki and I...we actually came by yesterday. Then we ran into All Might and the police. They were talking to Yaoyorozu."

Kirishima explained to them about how Yaoyorozu, during everything that had happened, had stuck a tracking device to one of the villains and could create the device to receive that signal.

"So you're saying that Yaoyorozu...could make another signal device for us?" Ida asked. For a moment, the events at Hosu City flashed in his head. "No. It's just as All Might said. We ought to leave this matter to the pros! It's not our place to interfere you fool!"

"You think I don't know that?! But still! I couldn't do anything! When I heard that they were after my buddies...I couldn't do anything! I **didn't** do anything! If I don't act now, forget being a hero, I'm not even a man!" Kirishima yelled back.

"Calm down, Kirishima. We get that you're a hothead, but in this case..." Kaminari tried to shush Kirishima.

"Ida is correct." Asui added.

"I know he's right! You all are, but...Think about it! Think about Leander!" Kirishima yelled. "She doesn't have a temper like Bakugo. They ain't going to be looking to recruit her knowing how she is! What the hell do you think they're going to do to her! Or to Bakugo when he refuses them!? Huh?!"

Everyone paused to think about it, but none of them said a word. They knew both Bakugo and Halyn. Both would fight to their last breath, but while it was questionable where Bakugo was concerned, they all knew Halyn would never join the villains. Seeing their silence, Kirishima turned to Midoriya.

"Hey, Midoriya! They're not beyond our reach just yet!" Kirishima said.

Ida could tell, just by the look on Midoriya's face, that the boy had already made up his mind. He was going after his friends, no matter what anyone else said or did. And it scared the crap out of Ida to think his friend was going to put himself into yet another dangerous situation.

"So you're gonna get this signal-tracker thing from Momoyao and follow it to go save Bakugo and Ha-chan by yourselves?!" Mina asked.

"The villains **did** say we were on their hit list, but then they took Halyn and Bakugo alive. Still, we can't be sure they won't kill either of them. Kirishima and I will go." Todoroki said. "I can't leave her like that. I can't let her slip through my fingers again."

The last part was added under his breath, but his classmates still heard it. Turning, they looked at Todoroki as he curled his hands into fists, his expression stormy at best.

"You have got to be joking!" Ida yelled.

"Hang on. Calm down." Shoji said, stepping in. "I get it. Kirishima's pain over not being able to do anything and Todoroki's regret over having Leander and Bakugo snatched away before his eyes. I regret it all too. Especially after Leander was hurt and captured trying to protect me, Todoroki, and Midoriya from that villain's flames. Still...this is no time to let our emotions get the better of us."

"Let's just leave it to All Might. Besides, we're not allowed to fight anymore." Aoyama piped in.

"It's just as Aoyama says...though I'm hardly one to talk, after having just been saved myself." Tokoyami added.

"We're all still in shock over Bakugo and Ha-chan's kidnapping, so we have to think about this calmly. It doesn't matter how righteous our feelings are. If we start another fight, if we break the law, then we're no better than the villains!" Asui remarked.

And this was what had most of the class agreeing that it was best to leave Halyn and Bakugo's rescue to the pros. Still, Kirishima, Midoriya, and Todoroki weren't going to back down. The arrival of Midoriya's doctor put an end to the conversation. Before he left, Kirishima told Midoriya, if he could, to meet him and Todoroki outside the hospital that night.

They would get their friends back, one way or another.

-0-0-0-0-

That night, Kirishima and Todoroki waited outside the hospital, waiting to see what Yaoyorozu's answer would be.

"Yaoyorozu said to let her think about it...I wonder though." Kirishima remarked.

"Well...no matter how fired up we are, we're not going anywhere without her help." Todoroki reasoned.

Yaoyorozu came walking out of the hospital then, Midoriya just behind her.

"Whaddya say, Yaoyorozu?" Kirishima asked.

Yaoyorozu started to answer, but was cut off by the arrival of Ida. A very livid Ida, at that. Gritting his teeth, he looked from one of his friends to the next.

"Of all people...you guys should know better! Especially you two, who criticized me for **my** rash actions and, like me, had to receive a special pardon in the end!" Ida said, looking at Todoroki and Midoriya. "Why are you about to commit the same blunder I did?! This is foolish!"

"What're you talking about?" Kirishima demanded, but stopped when Todoroki laid a hand on his shoulder.

"We're still under protection. And UA's already facing hard times as it is. Who do you think will have to take responsibility for **your** actions?!" Ida demanded.

"That's not how it is, Ida. Nobody said we're gonna break any laws-"

Midoriya was abruptly cut off when Ida suddenly decked him across the face.

"I have regrets too! And of course I'm worried! I'm your Class President! Naturally I worry about my classmates! And not just Bakugo and Leander! Leander...she's done nothing but support me and offer a hand up when I stumble, as she does for us all! Of course I'm worried about her!" Ida snapped. "Seeing you hurt, earlier...reminded me of my injured brother! What happens when your little vigilante act takes you somewhere there's no coming back from, like my brother? Are you saying you don't give a damn?! Are you saying you don't care about how I feel here?!"

"Ida..." Midoriya couldn't think of what to say to his friend.

"Ida! You don't seriously think we're planning to smash down the door, guns blazing? Do you?" Todoroki asked, much to Ida'a surprise.

"We're getting them back **without** fighting. It's gonna be a covert mission! That's how we heroes in training can fight on the right side of the law!" Kirishima added.

Todoroki met Ida's eyes, his own gaze stern and determined.

"I can't sit back while she's in danger, Ida. Not after all she's done for me. She slipped through my fingers once. I won't let it happen again." Todoroki said sternly, his resolve firm. "Once again, she went down protecting **me**. How could I ever face her again if I didn't do something?"

Ida grit his teeth. It was easy to see, looking Todoroki in the eyes, that the boy wasn't going to back down until he knew that Halyn was safe and sound.

"I trust you, Todoroki, but...worse comes to worse, I should be there as backup which is why I'm coming too." Yaoyorozu declared.

"Yaoyorozu?!" Ida gasped.

"I'm not really sure I get it, but..the thought that we can still reach them...I just can't sit around doing nothing. I need to go save them!" Midoriya declared.

Heaving a sigh, Ida knew that there was no reasoning with his friends. For one reason or another, they were going to go through with this.

"There's no swaying you. In that case...take me with you!" Ida demanded.

With Ida deciding to join them in order to pull them all out if things got physical, they're team of five set out, Yaoyorozu leading them with her tracking device. The signal lead them to the Kamino Ward which meant they would have to travel by bullet train.

"It should be a two-hour trip from here in Nagano, so we'll arrive around ten p.m." Yaoyorozu told them.

"Uh...did anyone tell the others the details of this mission?" Midoriya asked.

"Yeah. And they they wasted time trying to stop us." Todoroki replied.

"Uraraka was really harsh about it, just to drive the point home." Kirishima added.

"Uraraka? Really?" Midoriya asked in disbelief.

Kirishima told Midoriya how Uraraka had remarked on how she was sure Bakugo would see the rescue as disgraceful.

"And then she went on to say how Leander would be furious at us and wouldn't want us to risk ourselves just to save her." Kirishima finished.

"Lemme say this much," Todoroki started. "What we're about to do is a selfish thing that won't be accepted by anyone, even Bakugo or Halyn. If you wanna turn back, there's still time. Not that I will."

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't completely sure about this! Plus he's not the kind of dude to let any villain boss him around. Neither is Leander, for that matter. Hell! You know what happened the last time a villain took her captive." Kirishima retorted.

"There's no turning back now!" Midoriya agreed.

Regardless of what she had been through before, Midoriya knew there was breaking point for everyone. Halyn might have come out of her ordeal with Flame Lash with a brighter out look, but that didn't mean she would come out of this the same way. They couldn't leave Halyn or Bakugo in the villains' hands. There was no telling what they would do to them.

They had to do this.

-0-0-0-0-

When the group arrived in Kamino Ward, the first thing they did was go about obtaining disguises from a local store. When it was pointed out that Yaoyorozu could have made everything they needed, she insisted that they couldn't effect the economy like that. In short...the rich girl wanted to go shopping.

It was walking down the street that they received a huge shock when someone called out "Hey, it's UA!". They all turned, only to find that the person was talking about a press conference being displayed on a huge screen.

" _We will now air a segment of UA High School's apology press conference, which took place earlier tonight._ " the announcer declared, the screen displaying an image of Vlad King, Aizawa, and Nezu, bowing to the press in apology.

For someone who usually looked scruffy and poorly kept, Aizawa could clean up well.

" _I regret to announce that our unpreparedness was responsible for the harm that came to twenty-eight of our first-year students. Though ours is an institution for heroes in training, we were nonetheless negligent in our defenses against villains, and we understand that this has made many of you uneasy. We apologize for this deeply and sincerely. There is absolutely no excuse for what's occurred._ " Aizawa said.

" _Question from NHA. This makes the fourth time this year that UA students have been confronted by villains._ " one reporter started. " _Given that some were actually injured this time, what explanation have you given to their understandably concerned families? Furthermore, please tell us in concrete terms what measures you've taken to prevent these sorts of incidents in the future._ "

It was almost as if the press was trying to paint the heroes of UA as the bad guys in everything that had happened. That simply wasn't the case, though those in the crowd around them, were starting to buy it.

" _We've increased surveillance of the surrounding areas and revamped our school's security system. And we've explained to parents that our strong stance against villainy will guarantee the students' safety._ " Nezu answered.

" _Mr. Eraserhead, you claim it's for the students' safety, but in the middle of it all, you urged the students themselves to fight._ " another reporter said, standing. " _What were your intentions, at that point?_ "

" _Since we had no way of grasping the full nature of the situation, I made that decision in an attempt to avoid the worst-case scenario_." Aizawa replied.

" _Worst-case scenario? How else would you describe a situation where twenty-six were wounded and two kidnapped?_ " the reporter asked.

" _At that moment, the_ _ **worst**_ _case I could imagine involved the_ _ **deaths**_ _of my students_." Aizawa replied.

" _It became clear that the gas responsible for most of the harm was a villain's quirk-one with a soporific effect. Kendo's and Tetsutetsu's quirk thinking was responsible for minimizing the damage. The students have all received psychological evaluations, and none seem to have suffered emotional trauma._ " Nezu added.

" _Is that meant to be a silver lining?_ " the reporter demanded.

" _We believe that the worst has been avoided as long as the students still have their futures._ " Nezu insisted.

" _Can you say the same about young Bakugo and Leander, who were abducted?_ " the reporter demanded. " _Bakugo won your Sports Festival. He struggled valiantly against a powerful villain during the Sludge Incident. His impressive record implies the making of a tough hero, yet...he showed a rather violent side of himself after his festival victory. An attitude that persisted up through the awards ceremony. We've already caught glimpses, here and there, of his mental instability. What if it was those very qualities that made him a target? And then there is Leander Halyn. A truly brilliant young woman with evident talent and a hard working nature. She faced down a villain who captured her and tortured her for seven month, at a very tender age, and, since then, has remained within the top five of every class she has been in since. It was during your Sports Festival that the world got it's first glimpse at her unique quirk and at how truly sly she can be. Is it not because of her quirk, because of her past, that these villains have targeted her? She over came a villain holding her captive, once before and with admirable spirit, but can you say she will do it again? What if a skilled manipulator gets to the both of them and sends them down a path of evil? Can you provide proof that, as you say, those two still_ _ **have**_ _a future?_ "

Aizawa angrily rose to his feet, his expression giving away just how much he really disliked the press. And why shouldn't he with the way this reporter was twisting things? It was obvious that the man knew that Aizawa didn't like the press and was just trying to push the wrong button with the hero. Instead of raising to the bait, Aizawa simply bowed.

" _Any lapse in Bakugo's behavior is my failing. Still...he behaved that way at the Sports Festival because he has such strong convictions and ideals. They both do. More than anyone, Bakugo pursues the title of top hero with everything he's got. If the villains have mistaken that for a weakness then their thought process is indeed superficial. As for Leander...I do not have a student more mentally stable and with more of a firmly rooted resolve than her. She can be beaten, bruised, and broken, but that girl merely bounces back. She will never allow a villain to shift her loyalties and she never bows down to hardship. Neither of them will._ " Aizawa said, completely confident in his answer.

" _That doesn't sound like proof of anything. The two children's emotions aside, do you have a concrete counter-strategy?_ " the reporter asked.

" _We're hardly approaching this passively. Currently, I am personally cooperating with the police in their ongoing investigation. Make no mistake...we will retrieve the two students who were taken from us._ " Nezu declared.

With the press conference ending, Midoriya and his group moved on, their fire for the mission renewed. They tracked the signal to a warehouse. According to Yaoyorozu, the Nomu she had attached the tracker to, hadn't moved at all in the last day. She made sure to point out that just because the Nomu was there, didn't mean that Bakugo and Halyn were. Ida also made sure to tell them that at the first hint of danger, he was going to pull the plug on the mission.

Unknown to them, the pro heroes were preparing to launch an attack on the two separate locations they had as possible hideouts for the villains. Midoriya and his friends had just moved into position in a narrow alley behind the warehouse, trying to get a peek inside, finding it to be a Nomu factory, when the pros came busting into the warehouse. It had Midoriya and his friends ducking down as much as they could for cover when Mt. Lady put her foot, literally, right through the building.

"W-what happened exactly?!" Ida asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"They've got Mt. Lady...Gang Orca...even the number four hero, Best Jeanist!" Kirishima said, climbing on Ida's shoulders to peer over the wall.

"Mr. Tiger is down there too!" Yaoyorozu added.

"See? The pro heroes were able to take the necessary action faster than we could!" Ida remarked. "We should leave now. There's nothing left for us to do!"

It was with that said that the whole situation hit the fan.

With the appearance of a man from the non-destroyed part of the warehouse, things went from being seemingly alright, to disastrous in the blink of an eye. Midoriya and his friends didn't even have time to look, it was over in an instant, and in that instant, they were filled with a complete, utter fear of death. Midoriya knew, without a doubt, who this man was.

All for One.

And he was everything All Might had made him out to be and more.

In that one little moment, All for One had put down all the heroes there, as well as destroyed a solid block or two of the surrounding buildings. Though the damage would have been worse to the heroes if it hadn't been for Best Jeanist. All for One saw to it that Best Jeanist received punishment for his interference.

On the other side of their wall, hidden from All for One, Midoriya and his friends were frozen on the spot. They knew they had to run, had to get out of there, but their bodies simply wouldn't move. That is...until they heard Bakugo's voice. Somehow, Bakugo and the members of the League of Villains, were teleported onto the scene, via some kind of liquid warp gate.

Knowing that his friend was there, Midoriya knew he had to act, but before he could move, Ida latched onto him and Todoroki while Yaoyorozu took hold of Kirishima, neither allowing the other three to move. They knew this was not a villain they could fight. Thankfully, before Midoriya could argue, All Might landed, quite literally, on the scene to confront All for One. The blow out between the two, destroyed more of the surrounding area and had Midoriya's group hunkering down as much as possible. All for One's next attack destroyed another three or four streets worth of buildings, sending everyone flying off their feet.

With All Might temporarily trying to get his bearings back, All for One used one of his many stolen quirks to force an unconscious Kurogiri to activate his quirk to warp Shigaraki, his group, and Bakugo away. As All Might came back to confront All for One, once more, Shigaraki and his gang turned to collect Bakugo and leave. Not that that was going to happen without a fight.

It quickly became painfully clear that All Might couldn't defeat All for One with Bakugo there, but couldn't rescue Bakugo with All for One there to hold him back. And with it six-against-one, Bakugo wasn't able to get himself out of there. The situation wasn't looking good. Especially when considering the fact that none of them knew where Halyn was in all this mess.

Midoriya wracked his brain, trying hard to think of some way they could get Bakugo out of there without having to fight anyone. Finally, it hit him. It would be a bit of a gamble and they wouldn't be able to hang around and try to locate Halyn afterward, but it would leave All Might free to unleash his full power against All for One.

"Ida, g-guys!" Midoriya called softly.

"No, you can't Midoriya!" Ida said instantly, not giving Midoriya a chance to explain his plan.

"Yes, we can! Cuz we won't be "engaging in battle"! We oughta be able to get away and rescue Ka-chan at the same time! There **is** a way!" Midoriya insisted.

"Go on." Todoroki urged.

"Although...it also depends on what Ka-chan'll do, and...it means we'll have to leave finding Ha-chan to All Might." Midoriya told them.

Todoroki's expression showed how little he cared for that idea, but he also knew that they didn't really have much of a choice at the moment. They wouldn't be able to search for Halyn with so many villains around. Not without having to fight.

"This plan probably won't work if...if **I** do it." Midoriya added. "You do it, Kirishima. You're the key to raising our chances of success. Right now, Ka-chan is being wary of his opponents and fighting them at a distance. The perfect timing is when Ka-chan is more than two paces away from all the villains."

"Ida..." Yaoyorozu looked to Ida for his opinion.

"It's a gamble, but...if you think about it, the risk to us is low. And if we do succeed the tables will turn very much in our favor. Let's do it." Ida agreed.

The plan was to use Midoriya's Full Cowl and Ida's Recipro to build forward momentum and to break past the wall between them and Bakugo using Kirishima's quirk. Only then would Todoroki use his ice to make a path going as high as he could make it go. Between the ice and the power produced by Midoriya's and Ida's quirks, it would send them rocketing into the sky. Only once they were high in the sky would Kirishima call out to Bakugo, offering a hand. From there, it was Bakugo's choice on whether or not he took that hand.

Once they were ready, they launched their plan. The villains were temporarily taken off guard, until Kirishima called out to Bakugo. Thankfully, Bakugo took the hand offered, blasting himself into the sky to reach it. When they were clear, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki made a run for it.

It hurt, tore at him deep, to leave without knowing what had become of Halyn, but there was nothing else they could do. All he could do was pray that All Might brought Halyn back, safe and sound. If he couldn't...Todoroki didn't even want to think about it. Halyn would come back, she had to.

With Bakugo out of the way and the arrival of Gran Torino on the scene to help, All for One forced Shigaraki and his group through the warp. Now it would just be him and All Might.

"I'd only come to aid Tomura, but if you insist on fighting, then I accept your challenge. I do despise you, after all." All for One told All Might. "You crushed all of my comrades with those fists, one by one and then the world sang your praises as the "Symbol of Peace". The vista you view standing atop the mound of our dead must be nice, surely? I won't let you fight as "freely" as you'd like. Heroes always have so many things that need protecting."

All Might knew he meant the people in the surrounding area. All Might grabbed his arm, refusing to be forced to bow down.

"Shut up. That's how you always toy with others! You destroy them! And rob them! You **use** them and **dominate** them! All the while sneering down from your wanton perch at those who live their day to day lives! I will never ever allow such evil!" All Might declared, breaking through All for One's mask.

All Might was reaching his limit and he knew it. Half of his face was already transforming back to his normal form. He wouldn't be able to hold the form much longer, but he refused to give up while All for One still stood.

"How awfully _sentimental_ , All Might. Truth be told, I've heard more or less the same lines before. From the mouth of a prior wielder of One for All. Shimura Nana." All for One remarked.

Hearing the name of his master on the lips of All for One, made All Might grit his teeth in anger. How dare this man, the man who murdered his master, speak her name.

"I don't want to hear Master's name coming from your filthy goddamn mouth!" All Might growled.

"She was a wretch of a woman who concerned herself solely of her ideals, devoid of any and all _talent_...! As the progenitor who birthed One for All, I feel ashamed; the way she met her end was truly, truly pathetic. Where should I even begin?" All for One mocked.

"ENOUGH!" All Might shouted, his emotions blinding him to the next attack until it hit him, sending him flying into the air.

It was in mid flight, right before Gran Torino caught him, that All Might noticed the news cast helicopter that was filming the whole fight live.

"Toshinori! You're just repeating what happened six years ago! Calm down! You let him provoke you like that back then, too! And that's how you ended up failing to capture him! That's how you got that hole in your stomach!" Gran Torino told him as he took them back to the ground. "That's always been your problem! Quit trading words with the bastard!"

"Yes, sir." All Might replied.

"Both his battle tactics and the quirks he's using are totally different compared to last time. We can't land any effective blows at close quarters! We've got no choice but to get him when his guard's down! You can still move, right?! Now's the time to surpass your limits! This is do or die!" Gran Torino told him.

"Right, sir!" All Might agreed, the two charging back into the fight.

All across the country, people watched as All Might confronted All for One. Everyone had nothing but faith in All Might. Faith that he would take down this villain just as he had every other villain he had every faced.

"Tomura toiled so tirelessly to erode the public's faith in heroes, but perhaps it's acceptable for I to deal the final blow. But you do realize, All Might, that just as you hate me, I too hate you? Certainly, I killed your master, but you robbed me of all that I worked to amass. That's why I want you to die the most savage, ugly death possible!" All for One declared.

All for One prepared another attack, All Might preparing to dodge it in return.

"Are you sure you want to dodge it?" All for One asked.

Behind him, All Might heard the noise of someone trying to climb their way out of the rubble of a destroyed building. Turning, he caught sight of the woman still trapped there.

"I shall snatch away all the things you've been protecting." All for One declared, launching his attack.

All Might, much like how Halyn had done for her friends before she was captured, threw himself in front of the woman, taking the blow with his already weakening body.

"Starting with the pride you took in soldiering on despite your injuries. Show the world how pitiful you really look, oh Symbol of Peace." All for One announced as the smoke cleared to show All Might in his weakened form for all those watching to see.

Across the country, people stared in horror at the true form of their beloved All Might. At the same time, their hearts went out to him because, despite hitting his limit, despite having little to no fire left in him to burn, All Might refused to back down.

"Your cheeks hallow, your eyes sunken! What a _scrawny_ "Top Hero" you've become! But don't be embarrassed-that's your _true form_ , isn't it!?" All for One asked grandly.

"That how you see it?" All Might asked. "Well, however much my body may be withering away...and however much that's been exposed for all to see... **my heart is still the heart of the Symbol of Peace! And that heart isn't something you could ever take the smallest piece away from!** "

"Magnificent! How could I forget that childish obstinacy of yours. I wonder if your heart will remain unscathed after you hear this...you see...Shigaraki Tomura is Shimura Nana's grandson." The words All for One spoke, froze All Might on the spot. "This entire time, I've been devising that which would upset you. I orchestrated an opportunity for you and Tomura to face off and you smacked him down. Beaming with the pride of victory and so blissfully unaware."

"You lie." All Might insisted.

"Oh, but it is the truth. Surely you don't doubt that it's something I would do, do you? What's this, All Might? How odd...whatever happened to that smile?" All for One mocked while, on the inside, All Might was shaken by the truth.

"You...you bastard!" All Might snapped.

"Just as I thought...how delightful! I _did_ manage to rob you of a precious little piece of your heart!" All for One cheered.

While All Might tore himself apart over what he had done, striking at a relative of his master's, the pleading calls of the woman behind him, reached him. All across the country, people called and begged All Might to keep fighting. No matter what All for One said or did, he couldn't lose. He scrounged deep, pulling forth enough power to transform his right arm to it's muscled form.

"Have no fear, young lady." All Might told the woman behind him. "You were right, All for One. Heroes always have so many things, so many people to protect! That's the very reason they can't lose!"

"Use all your might. After all, that will be your last swing, All Might." All for One said, his feet leaving the ground as he used another quirk to levitate himself. "Wounded heroes are always the most fearsome ones. In my dreams, I still sometimes see you coming toward me, your face dead set despite your strewn bowels. I suppose I should watch out for swings two and three then."

Before All for One could unleash another attack, fire came rocketing towards him, forcing him to retreat backwards.

"What the hell, you bastard! The hell's that body, All Might!?"

Endeavor and Edgeshot had arrived on the scene, Endeavor being the one that yelled at the sight of All Might's weakened form. He merely could not believe the sight before him.

"Though they were all mid-range Nomus...don't tell me you brought them all to heel already? I must applaud you, Number Two. You're certainly a man who's clawed his way to the top." All for One remarked from up in the sky.

Endeavor wasn't listening though. After so many years working so hard, striving to better himself and surpass All Might, this was the truth he was confronted with. And after everything he had done, with his life and to his family.

"How did your back get so pitiful!?" Endeavor demanded.

With the added presence of Endeavor and Edgeshot to distract All for One while Kamui Woods and Tiger rescued those around All Might, All for One was forced to bring out his trump card.

"I see you seem to have forgotten about something, All Might." All for One called, making him focus back on him. "Quite a shame. And she was relying on you to come to her rescue."

All Might's eyes widened as All for One waved a hand through the air. A bubble of what looked like clear liquid, appeared as if out of a pocket of space. In the center of it, naked and draped only in a sheet...was Halyn.

"Leander!" All Might called out.

The girl was unconscious, her limp form merely floating there, mostly covered by the sheet wrapped around her. From where he stood, All Might could see no injuries on her, but she wasn't stirring.

"What did you do to her!?" All Might demanded.

"She's quite the fascinating young lady, wouldn't you agree? Her quirk is so much like my own. So much so that when I tried to take it from her, she fought back, refusing to allow it to be pulled from her body. No matter the pain it brought her, she fought me. I found I simply could not pry it from her." All for One remarked. "She is quite...determined. So, instead of taking her quirk, I merely...tweaked with the others she had taken from my Nomu. I removed a few, put others into her. It was a painful process for her since her body had already passed its limits. She finally lost consciousness and has not awoken since."

The more All for One spoke, the sicker All Might felt. While Bakugo had gone mostly untouched, Halyn had suffered, forced to amuse this sick and twisted man merely because her quirk was so much like his.

"You bastard...!" All Might yelled.

"She will live, and when I am done with her, she will make the perfect bride and partner for Tomura." All for One said.

"Never! Leander will never be a villain!" All Might yelled.

"Oh, but she already has it running in her veins." All for One replied.

"What...?"

All for One chuckled, laying a hand on the bubble in which Halyn's unconscious form floated.

"This girl links the two of us, All Might. Through her, we are connected. Or had you never questioned why her quirk is so similar to mine? For you see, she is not only your student, but...a direct descendant of one of your predecessors." All for One told him.

It took All Might a moment to figure out what All for One meant and when he did, he felt like the bottom of his stomach had fallen out. All for One chuckled, giving the bubble a pat. His next sentence sent chills down All Might's spine.

"That's right, All Might, this girl with her quirk like mine, is the descendant of the original holder of your power...a descendant of my younger brother."

END

Kyandi: I told you it was a big reveal.

Uraraka: I...uh...wha...What?!

Kyandi: Yep. There's the big reveal, everyone. Halyn is related, by blood, to All for One.

Uraraka: Ho...I mean...what?!

Kyandi: Exactly, Uraraka. How is All Might going to handle this new news about one of his students?

Uraraka: Will...but...What?!

Kyandi: Right again, Uraraka. Will All Might be able to look Halyn in the eyes now that he knows she has the same blood as his greatest enemy running in her veins?

Uraraka: ... _ **WHAT?!**_

Kyandi: I guess all of you will have to wait until the next chapter to find out! Everyone enjoy and review!

Uraraka: ...We'll...We'll be back as soon as possible?

Kyandi: Bye-bye!

Uraraka: But, Kyandi-sama! What about Ha-chan!?

Kyandi: You'll see, you'll see. Say goodbye, Uraraka.

Uraraka: Bye?


	23. Trials

Kyandi: I'm back! I'm so sorry I took so long!

Halyn: She's been working a lot of double shifts and with Thanksgiving coming up this week, she's been busy.

Kyandi: I love all the food we get to eat on Thanksgiving, but I don't love having to be the one to cook it.

Halyn: At least you didn't have to spend money for the food.

Kyandi: That's a major plus, but I'm still going to spend a whole day having to cook.

Halyn: Gobble, gobble?

Kyandi: No turkey noises, please. I have to cook one. Anyway, I have two chapters for all of you, so everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 23 Trials

"... _a descendant of my younger brother_."

The words rang over and over in All Might's head, his eyes fixed on Halyn's unconscious form. Halyn...was related to All for One? All Might wanted to yell that All for One was lying, but...they're quirks were almost identical. While there were the rare cases where someone was born with a quirk that didn't exist anywhere in their family tree, it made much more sense for there to have been someone, somewhere in her family tree, who had had the same quirk.

All Might finally understood why he had felt so uneasy around Halyn.

"You've fallen silent, All Might. Tell me...will this change how you view the girl?" All for One demanded.

All Might's eyes darted to All for One before fixing back on Halyn's face. He knew, regardless of her connection to All for One, what she was like. Halyn was cheerful, helpful, kind, clever, and, over all, a positive person. She joked with her friends, apologized for anything she thought she did wrong, and supported and helped those in need. Even when they didn't ask.

Halyn was not some villain.

"No."

All for One's smile faltered when he heard All Might speak.

"Come again?" All for One asked.

"You asked if knowing who she might be _distantly_ related to, will change my view on Leander? It doesn't! That girl...I know exactly the kind of person Leander is and she is nothing like you!" All Might yelled up to him.

"You know this girl, you say? Then you know what she did to a villain foolish enough to take her captive without understanding exactly what he was putting his hands on?" All for One asked.

"She took his quirk." All Might replied.

He knew that, but given the circumstances, that didn't make her evil, or even bad. She had done what she had to to survive. How could anyone possibly blame her for that?

"Yes, she took his quirk and, in that moment after fully assimilating it into her body, she lashed out. The man was so weakened by the time police arrived that he ended up wasting away and dying just a few months later." All for One declared. "The girl was basically responsible for his death."

"And she decided to never fully assimilate another person's quirk after that!" All Might yelled, defending Halyn.

"Yet...she still did. Or have you forgotten the Nomu she killed? A Nomu, I might add, that had once been her own father. Now tell me, what kind of person would willing stab their own father in the heart?" All for One taunted.

"You purposely made that Nomu from her father." All Might stated.

"I must say, the reunion was far more...satisfying than I had hoped. Granted, when I first took him, I did not know he had a daughter, let along one connected to me by blood. But once I discovered the truth...I wanted to see which she would choose in a difficult situation and she did not disappoint." All for One replied.

"Are you saying she acted as you thought she would?" All Might demanded.

"No. In fact, she acted in the exact opposite of what I had predicted. I thought, surely, she would pick a blood tie over those around her, but I underestimated her mental stability. She's quite strong willed for one her age." All for One remarked, patting the bubble.

All Might didn't need All for One to tell him this. Halyn had proven, time and again, that she was firm in her resolve and in her mental state. But that wasn't the point right now. All for One had Halyn and All Might needed to get her back. He didn't have long before he would be so far beyond his limit, he wouldn't be able to lift another finger against All for One. He needed to end this now.

"All Might." All Might turned when Tiger called him as he fished a young woman out from under some rubble. "For us...this is about all we can do. But if it alleviates your burden by just a tiny bit...So go stop that wicked lot and save Leander...All Might...! Everyone's hoping you win! No matter how you may look, you are the number one hero!"

All Might turned, watching as Endeavor and Edgeshot distracted All for One, Edgeshot trying to get close enough to rescue Halyn from All for One's grasp. All for One wasn't letting them near the girl and finally grew fed up. With an explosive release of energy, he forced them all back.

"Let us put aside any talk of young Halyn and your "spirit" and talk reality." All for One said as he begun to pile up quirks in his right arm until it was completely disfigured. "It seems there'e no guarantee I'll kill you just shaving off your power with the shock waves I've been using up until now. So in order to assuredly kill you, I shall hybridize all of the best and most suitable quirks I can at the moment, and strike you with them."

All for One was sure he could win, could finally kill the hero that had been standing in his way for far too long. He was sure, because he was sure that All Might no longer had One for All and that what he was fighting with, was just embers left from the fire that was One for All. And he had a sure idea on who All Might had passed the power on to.

"Midoriya Izuku." All Might's eyes widened when All for One spoke the name. "That's the name of the man you transferred One for All to, correct? And to think, he came with no qualifications...he hasn't even mastered using it yet, has he? I hope you die nursing plenty of regrets, All Might. Today you lost not only as a hero, but as a _teacher_ as well."

What All for One didn't know was that, while, yes, All Might only had embers left of One for All, embers could be stoked, briefly, back into a roaring fire. It required All Might sacrificing all that remained of his power, but to finally end this fight, to finally put All for One behind bars, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

The blowout of the resulting collision sent out shock waves that knocked everyone back and even sent the news helicopter above to swaying in the air, the pilot fighting to right them. But All for One was finally done and out. With the man losing consciousness, the bubble holding Halyn popped, letting the girl fall towards the ground. Endeavor, being the closest, caught her, quickly tucking the sheet around her limp form and checking her vitals. She was breathing, her pulse strong and calm, but what her mental state would be like when she awoke, he didn't know.

Endeavor turned his eyes from Halyn to All Might. Beaten and bloody, All Might got to his feet...and thrust one victorious fist into the air. Victorious he stood, fist held high in a silent declaration that the city was safe once more, but those close by knew...this was All Might's last stand.

Police arrived on the site, soon after, medical assistance and rescue parties following. As the police restrained All for One and carted him off, All Might hurried to where two medical responders where strapping Halyn to a stretcher so she could be loaded up and carried off to the nearest hospital. A third was checking her vitals and setting up an IV.

"How is she?" All Might asked.

"She unconscious, but all of her vitals are strong and there's not a single injury on her. None that can be seen, at least. She'll undergo a fully battery of tests once we get her to the hospital, but she should be fine once she awakes." one man told him.

All Might's eyes turned to Halyn's face. The sheet had been tucked tightly around her body, a breathing mask strapped over her mouth and nose, and she was already hooked up to a monitor which beeped away the steady rate of her heart beat. She didn't look to be in pain and her skin was unmarred by even the slightest of bruises.

"Will you ride with her? You really should get your own injuries checked out." one responder told him.

"I will, thanks." All Might agreed.

Climbing into the ambulance along side Halyn, All Might fixed his eyes on Halyn's face. The whole way to the hospital, he replayed All for One's words over and over in his head. Halyn was the, gods only knew how many greats, niece of All for One. The blood that ran through her veins was partly the same as one of the greatest villains All Might had ever met. He would be lying if he didn't say that it bothered him.

But that was for several reasons.

Several people now knew that Halyn had the blood of a horrible villain in her veins. Depending on how they chose to act on that information, things could get difficult very quickly for Halyn. Her future as a hero could even be in trouble with this latest news. First things first, they would have to find out if All for One was telling the truth.

"I need you to do me favor." All Might said, looking up at the EMT across from him.

"What is it?" the man asked.

"When you hand her over to the doctors at the hospital, tell them I need a DNA test done on her and the villain that was taken away."

Of course, it was him taking the matter into his own hands without talking to Halyn first, but if he could spare her having to know, he would. He just hoped that, when the results came back, All for One was proven to be a liar.

The rest of the ride to the hospital was quiet, but short. When they arrived at the hospital, Halyn was rushed into the hands of doctors, while All Might, himself, was examined.

It was hours later, while All Might was being wheeled down the hall for an x-ray, that he heard the raised voices. All Might requested the nurse wait for a moment when they came in sight of the nurse's station. Standing there were four men. All four had the same blue hair, though in differing shades. The oldest of the group, All Might instantly recognized as Halyn's legal guardian and oldest brother, Remus. That meant that the other three were her other brothers.

Two of the three were obviously twins. Both were tall, like Remus, but lankier than their older brother. Both wore their hair slightly on the long side, one twin combing it over to the left and the other to the right, and one twin had the cat ears alone while the other had the tail. Both of them had golden eyes, like Remus.

The last of the brothers, had to be Maximus, the brother that had been recently injured. The man was walking on crutches, one leg bound inside a supportive boot. His hair was worn on the long side, the top half tied back and, like Remus, he had both the cat ears and tail, the ears each baring two piercings each. He was shorter than his brothers, but well muscled and baring bandages around one forearm and over one cheek. Unlike his brothers, he had the same purple eyes as Halyn, though his was closer to a lavender than hers was.

All four were crowded around the desk, questioning the nurse there.

"I'm sorry, really, but Miss Leander isn't done with test yet. Even if she was, she still hasn't regained consciousness." the nurse was telling them.

"Then tell me what you _**do**_ know." Remus demanded. "How injured did she appear? Anything."

"She was uninjured."

Remus and his brothers turned as All Might's nurse wheeled him over. A moment of confusion crossed the four's faces before it clicked who he was.

"All Might...I saw the news cast." Remus said, turning towards All Might. "What do you mean, uninjured? If she was uninjured, then why is she still unconscious when I was told she had already been here for hours?"

"I don't kn-"

"Because she was drugged."

All Might and Halyn's brothers turned. Walking towards them, a doctor at his side, and Nezu sitting on his shoulder, was Aizawa. It was Aizawa that had spoken.

"Eraserhead. Principal Nezu." Remus greeted with a bow of his head. "What was it you just said?"

"The doctors found a drug in her system meant to keep her passive. It dulled her senses, made her sluggish, and, with enough pumped into her veins, rendered her unconscious. We're just waiting for the effects to wear off. Once she's awake, they can test her level of brain function to see if anything is wrong. Aside from that, she came in without any external injuries." Aizawa explained.

"External? He just said external, didn't he?" one twin asked.

"He did. What do you mean by that?" the other added in.

Aizawa turned to the doctor at his side, who held a medical chart in his hands.

"Are you Miss Leander's legal guardian?" the doctor asked.

"I am. I'm her oldest brother, Leander Remus." Remus answer.

"Well, we did a full body x-ray and a cat scan." the doctor said, flipping through the papers on the board. "She has no injuries on the outside. Not a single scratch or bruise. That being said...inside is a different case altogether."

"What do you mean?" All Might asked.

"All of her muscles and internal organs underwent a lot of strain and stress. Whatever that villain did to her, it had to be far from painless for her. All of her tendons and muscles show signs of ripping and healing, her organs are struggling to catch up in terms of healing, her over all system has been shot. Going off what I know of her quirk, it seems she has assimilated a quirk that allows her body to heal almost as soon as it's injured. The down side, it seems, is that the greater the injury, the greater the amount of energy consumed and more exhaustion and strain her body is put under. Whatever was done to her, she will probably continue to sleep even when the drugs are fully flushed from her system. For a few days, at least."

"But will she be alright?" Remus asked.

"She will live, if that's what you mean, but I cannot vouch for her mental state or the function of her brain. To under go enough injury and pain to put this much strain on her...even an experienced and mentally strong hero would snap." the doctor replied.

"Halyn has pain asymbolia."

This came from the brother that All Might was sure was Maximus. The doctor turned to him, a confused look on his face.

"You are?" the doctor asked.

"My apologies. These are my younger brothers. Felix," Remus gestured to the twin with the cat ears. "Cyprian." He moved to the twin with the tail. "And Maximus."

Maximus stepped forward, careful of his injured leg.

"Halyn can't perceive pain as pain. That part of her brain was damaged when she was younger. No matter the injury, she shouldn't be able to feel the pain." Maximus continued, desperately trying to hold on to the belief that his sister would come out of this just as she had with Flame Lash.

"That's not true." Aizawa said suddenly, bringing all eyes to him. "At the camp, she shared with me something she's only told one other person in her life."

"What do you mean? Halyn tells us everything." Felix insisted.

"Not this. She shared with me that when she fully assimilates quirks past her five quirk limit...it causes her so much pain, it's immobilizing. With Flame Lash's quirk stuck with her, her limit is dropped to four." Aizawa said.

"And? Halyn knows her limits better than anyone and she knows not to push them." Cyprian said.

"Not if lives depend on it." All Might remarked.

He knew Halyn enough to know that if lives depended on it, she would take any blow, push as far as her body could go and then further. He knew it...because that was the kind of hero she was. A hero that would always put others above herself.

"According to the reports from some of her classmates...Leander fully assimilated a total of six quirks from the Nomu she faced before she killed it." Aizawa said.

"And All for One, the villain that took her, messed with her quirk, called it tweaking. There's no telling how many quirks he forced off on her." All Might added.

With each word that was spoken, the faces of the twins and Maximus grew paler and paler. The thought of their baby sister in pain and suffering in the hands of yet another villain, had their stomach turning and twisting into knots.

"Wha-what are you saying? What did that bastard do to our sister?!" Maximus demanded, his voice raising.

"Maximus." Remus called, silently demanding that his brother lower his voice.

"Screw politeness, Remus! We've had to go through this once before. You might have been willing to let her move all the way here to be a hero, but the rest of us begged her not to take this path. We _**begged**_ her! I knew it was a bad idea to continue to let her go to that school after that whole incident in Hosu and I told you that! Now look what's happened!" Maximus yelled at his brother. "She would have been better off living a normal life."

Despite the attention that was drawn to them, Remus remained calm. He fixed his stern gaze on this youngest brother.

"Not here, Maximus." Remus told him.

"Yes here, Remus! I told you, while in the hospital myself, to bring her home and to keep her there! She's too far away from us here and you know how she is!" Maximus retorted.

"Yes, I do know how she is. I know that Halyn is strong and mature. She chose this path and, as her brothers, we should support her." Remus replied.

"I know she's strong, Remus! But...but even strong people break." Maximus said, his voice cracking for a moment as his cat ears laid flat against his head. "Granted, Halyn came out of the whole Flame Lash incident with a brighter outlook, but..sooner or later, she's bound to break. Especially since...you heard what they told us, Remus. That-that _**thing**_ was our father. Our _**father**_ , Remus! And she had to kill it! You really think, knowing Halyn like we do, that she will simply be able to bounce back from that? You know how long she searched, how long she waited for him to return. To turn around and have to kill him?! Our sister isn't made of stone!"

Maximus shook his head as the twins fixed their eyes on the ground. Remus' golden eyes shifted from Maximus to the twins and back. Taking a deep breath, Remus ran a hand through his hair.

"We won't know the state of her mind until she wakes up. Give her a chance to prove you wrong, Maximus. Don't give up on our sister before she has a chance." Remus said lowly to his brother. "Halyn is strong. We have to believe that. If we give up hope on her now, who is she suppose to turn to when she inevitably hits that wall? Pointing fingers and blaming each other or others, is not going to change the fact that she chose this path and villains decided to do what they do best...ruin lives."

Maximus fell silent then, his cat ears still pinned to his head as his eyes fell to the ground. Halyn's teachers, in that moment, could see where Halyn got her mental strength from. Even when his sister had been kidnapped, possibly tortured, and now lay in a hospital bed, unconscious, Remus had a remarkable calmness about him. The same calmness they had seen in Halyn, time and again.

When Remus was sure his brothers were done with arguing, he turned to the UA teachers and gave them a bow of his head.

"I apologize. Halyn means the world to us and we all four believe she has been through more than her fair share. It's...painful to think of her smile vanishing." Remus said before turning to the doctor. "Would it be alright if we remain with her until she awakes?"

The doctor gave them the go ahead and the twins ushered Maximus off ahead of them. The youngest brother went with a grumble of apology. Remus heaved a sigh, running a hand down his face before he started to follow.

"Remus." Remus stopped and turned when All Might called him. "She will get through this. Your sister has a remarkable resilience."

Remus gave him a tight smile, but his expression was strained and tired. Turning, he approached All Might and offered his hand. All Might looked up at him as he took it, Remus giving it a bit of a squeeze.

"You are a great hero, All Might, truly one of a kind. Even living in Italy, you were, easily, one of Halyn's biggest inspirations. It was seeing how you smiled through everything, just as our mother did, that gave her hope to hold her head high and soldier on." Remus told him. "So I truly pray that you are right, but, as someone who was there the last time, who watched her as she struggled to pick up the pieces of her shattered life...even I have my doubts. Thank you, though, for saving my sister."

With that, Remus released his hand, turned, and hurried after his brothers. All Might, Aizawa, and Nezu watched as the four brothers vanished off down the hall. All Might knew that Remus was right. While everyone had reasonable expectations of Halyn hanging up her hero's cape, they all held out hope that she would pull through this again. They prayed she would, but the truth remained the same.

Halyn was only human.

-0-0-0-0-

The next day, Gran Torino and Tsukauchi came to visit All Might at the hospital. With one arm in a sling and most of his visible skin bandaged in one form or another, All Might made for quite the sight. The subject they came to see All Might about, was his remaining power as a hero.

"The embers inside me have vanished." All Might stated. "The "Symbol of Peace" is dead. But I've still got things I need to do."

"So Shigaraki Tomura, is Shimura's grandson then...huh?" Gran Torino asked, one side of his face completely bandaged.

"But that's just what he told us, isn't it? Don't you think the evidence to back that up is slim?" Tsukauchi asked. "Did neither of you have any contact with the family of the previous wielder?"

"Nope. Shimura's husband got killed, see. She thought it'd be best to distance her child from the hero world so she gave him up for foster. She told me and Toshinori, amongst others, that no matter what happened to her, she didn't want him to ever get involved." Gran Torino explained.

"And that promise with your late master went the opposite way. That's absolutely heart-rending." Tsukauchi remarked.

"The bond of blood that Master made a clean break from so he could know some peace...! I need to find him...I need to find Shigaraki and-"

"No." Gran Torino said, cutting off All Might. "What would you do once you found him? You don't see the bastard as a villain anymore, not really. You'd waver. His lineage doesn't matter. The man's a criminal. Just as Leander's blood ties don't matter. The girl is still a hero." Gran Torino said. "From here on out, the ones who'll be searching for Shigaraki will be me and Tsukauchi here. So you go do the things you've still gotta do over at UA. After all, the "Symbol of Peace" may be no more, but _**All Might**_ 's still around."

All might knew he had a point. He still had his job as Midoriya's mentor that he needed to focus on. And then there was Halyn.

"Did either of you...did you stop to see Leander?" All Might asked.

Gran Torino and Tsukauchi looked at each other before turning their eyes back to All Might who was staring at his hand.

"I stopped to ask her brothers how she was doing." Tsukauchi admitted.

"How was she?" All Might asked.

"Still unconscious, but a new series of scans and x-rays this morning showed that all of her internal damage is healing. Most of it is gone now. I, uh...I actually walked in on her brothers arguing." Tsukauchi said.

"Arguing? Over what?" All Might inquired, raising his head to look at his friend.

"The girl's education and continued path to be a hero, of course." Gran Torino said. "I could hear them from down the hall. One brother wants her to go home to Italy and be a normal person, get a normal job and another insist the decision should stay with her, that they aren't her parents and therefore, can't make her do anything."

Gran Torino shook his head.

"You were there, sir, you heard what he said about her. What do you think?" All Might asked.

"You mean what All for One said about her being related to him?" Gran Torino asked. All Might simply nodded, causing Gran Torino to release a sigh. "The DNA test hasn't come back yet and I don't know the girl myself, but from what I heard of the girl from others, regardless of the blood that flows in her veins...that girl is a hero, through and through. If she hadn't set aside her personal feelings and taken down that Nomu, who knows how many of your students it could have killed or injured. That girl doesn't have a single villainous bone in her body."

All Might turned his eyes back to his lap, a small smile on his face. He thought the same thing. Halyn was too kind of a person to end up a villain like All for One. Regardless of the connections between them, Halyn was not All for One.

"Whatever the test shows, I don't think you should tell her." Tsukauchi said. "Who knows what kind of damage that information could do to her psyche. Despite all her maturity after going through being a captive of a villain before, the girl is still a child."

"I know. I just hope it does not effect her future." All Might admitted.

"Ha! From what I've heard about the girl, she too damn stubborn to let it. The girl kind of reminds me of you, Toshinori." Gran Torino remarked. "Don't worry about that girl, Toshinori. I have a feeling she's going to surprise us all one of these days."

All Might hoped he was right, but, for now, they had to deal with the aftermath of this attack.

-0-0-0-0-

After his release from the hospital, All Might held a formal announcement stating that he was retiring from being a hero, along with the announcement that Ragdoll, who had lost her quirk to All for One, would retire and that Best Jeaniest would be forced to close shop while he recovered from his near death experience. After that, All Might, along with Vlad King and Aizawa, were summoned to Nezu's office.

"You sacrificed your body to save a tremendous number of lives. As a citizen, as a hero, and as principal, I could never thank you enough. That said...society has had no shortage of criticism of your choosing to continue working as a teacher at UA. They say the fact that you shifted to UA was a problem to begin with. And that, now that you can no longer fight, what would happen if the children were to get rolled up in events once again?" Nezu said. "Everyone is quite anxious. That's why we need to work our very best to fortify the faith in heroes that you had clinched."

"I realized, during that battle, how we'd all inadvertently put it all on the shoulders of a single man and just how huge that burden was." Vlad said.

"And we're not yet clear of their threat, so we absolutely must protect and raise them more robustly than ever. As such we'll be moving ahead implementing a strategy that I've given yet more thought. I and Vlad will go to the students of Class B, who sustained so much damage while you two will go to the students of Class A. I trust you to their home visitation." Nezu told them.

With that, the plan to house all students in dorms on campus, was put into effect. The teachers visited each students home to request that their parents trust them once more, and allow their children to live in the dorms. Though there was a little resistance, especially where Midoriya's mother was concerned, all students were given permission to live on campus.

All but one.

When it came to the Leander household, problems arose.

Just a day before all of the students were meant to move into the dorms, Halyn finally regain consciousness. Before any of the police on the case, or her teachers could get to the hospital, her brothers had her discharged and left with her. There was no answer at her apartment either.

Come the day the others students moved in, there was still no answer.

The members of Class A arrived at their dorm to find Aizawa waiting for them.

"First thing's first, Class 1-A. We couldn't be more glad that you're all safe and sound, back together again." Aizawa said.

"Looks like everybody got permission, huh?" Sero asked.

"Not Ha-chan." Mina said.

All of the students looked at each other. Many of them had wondered, over the days since her rescue, how she was and what had happened, but none of them had been able to reach her.

"I wouldn't say that."

The sudden voice had all of the students turning. Even Aizawa looked up in surprise. Standing behind them, flanked by her brothers and with Nezu, Midnight, and Snipe behind them, was Halyn. Cheers of her name were called out, but the girls froze, stopping themselves from running to hug her. Halyn, though awake and unscratched, looked exhausted, her skin paler than normal. She looked as if each and every step caused her discomfort.

"Ha-chan, you're alright." Toru said, sounding teary.

The smile Halyn gave her was a small one, strained at best. She had none of her usual cheer as she stood there dressed in street clothes rather than her school uniform.

"I apologize for worrying all of you, I just...I had a lot to do." Halyn told them.

"We're so glad you're coming back!" Mina cheered.

"Yeah...about that..."

Halyn trailed off heaving a sigh as she lightly pressed a hand to her stomach, rubbing as if it ached. The way she said that, the way she acted, it concerned her friends that this might be good-bye.

"Ha-chan, are you...are you leaving?" Uraraka asked. "Please say you're staying."

Halyn raised her eyes to look her friends over. Heaving a sigh, she shifted on her feet. Her eyes met Todoroki's and before he could gage her expression, she looked away from him. That wasn't a good sign.

"After everything that happened, I did a lot of thinking and I came to a very stark realization." Halyn remarked.

"What are you talking about, Leander?" Ida asked.

"I realized that, yes, I can go ahead and fake a smile or a laugh and can continue as I have up until now. Regardless of everything I went through, I told myself, before, that I could do it and get through it, but...I'm only human and can only take so much. Can only take it until I've had enough." Halyn replied. "After all this, any reasonable person would throw in the towel just to save their sanity."

Todoroki tensed as he watched Halyn. Was she...was she going to leave? The Halyn he knew was cheerful. She smiled nonstop and bounced back like it was nothing. In the end, he supposed he took it for granted, had just always expected her to be like that. It never occurred to him that she could break just like any other human being.

"That being said..." All eyes fixed on Halyn once more as she raised her head, her expression stern. "I haven't had enough, yet. You aren't getting rid of me that easily."

It took a heartbeat for the words to kick in and in the next moment, the girls were basically dog piling Halyn, a loud cheer going up from the class as a whole. Halyn staggered under their weight, but they managed to keep her on her feet. Todoroki released the breath he hadn't known he had been holding when a small curled Halyn's lips.

"What she said aside," Remus suddenly called out, stepping forward. "The doctors have advised her against doing anything to strain herself too much, just yet. She's still moving with a lot of discomfort in her body. She pushed her limits far too far."

Halyn turned to look at her brother as her female classmates released her quickly and backed up a step, afraid they would hurt her.

"There's no pain, Remus." Halyn told him.

"And we all know that we can't rely on your nonexistence sense of pain to gauge how your body is adjusting. You're walking stiffly and your muscles are protesting. That's sign enough." Remus reminded her. "Do not make me regret supporting your choice to continue going to this school."

"Understood." Halyn replied instantly.

Remus nodded and turned his attention to Aizawa, telling him that he would need to speak to him, as well as the other teachers before he and his brothers left. Aizawa agreed, but first he needed to walk the students through the rules of the dorms. With everyone's attention redirected to the previous topic, Aizawa continued where he left off.

"As I was saying, we're glad you're all safe and back." Aizawa said.

"We're glad you're okay too, sensei!" Asui said. "When we were watching the press conference, we were so sad that you might not be with us anymore!"

"I'm surprised too. Well...a lot's happened, kids. Now then...I'm going to be giving you all a brief explanation of how the dorms will work. But before that, we need to address how we'll be moving forward to acquire the provisional licenses we'd planned to get at the lodge. This is important, so listen up. Todoroki, Kirishima, Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, and Ida. On that night, you five headed to _that place_ to rescue Bakugo and Leander."

Halyn's eyes turned to Todoroki, who, after being unable to help her, looked anywhere but at her. Apparently, judging by the looks on the faces of everyone else, they knew what had happened and that the five had planned to go after Bakugo and Halyn.

"And judging by your reactions, you all knew full well that they intended to do so. Up until now, I've been shelving things left and right, but let me say this clearly; had All Might not been forced to retire, then save for Bakugo, Leander, Jiro and Hagakure, I would have expelled every single one of you. The five who went go without saying, but the twelve who knew about it but didn't stop it wouldn't have gotten away scot free either. Whatever reasons you may have had, it doesn't change the fact that you betrayed our trust. So I'd be grateful if you restore that trust by going through the proper channels and hero-ing _legally_. That is all! Now let's go inside. And with a spring in your step." Aizawa declared.

With that, he turned and headed towards the building. Ignoring the commotion that Bakugo raised, Halyn followed Aizawa, the others following, talking cheerfully. Halyn's brothers stayed outside to talk to Nezu and the the other teachers.

"It's a class to each building. The right side is for the girls and the left is for the boys. The first floor is a co-ed space. The mess hall, baths, laundry stuff and the like are here." Aizawa explained to them.

Halyn looked around. The place was nice, modern with a plush sitting area and a nice kitchen space. She could see living here with her friends and being comfortable and happy.

"So much space, and it's so nice! Oh my god look, a sofa!" Mina cheered.

"Hey, check it out, there's a courtyard!" Sero called.

"Did I hear that right? The baths and laundry are co-ed? Someone pinch me!" Mineta drooled.

"They're _gender-segregated_. You wanna give it a rest already, my friend?" Aizawa replied.

"Yes, sir."

Halyn shook her head as they moved on to the actual dorm rooms. It seemed that some things just wouldn't change. As they moved to the elevator, Halyn fell to the back of the pack, the girls falling back to walk with her, expressing concern over how stiffly she was walking. Halyn assured them that she was fine.

"The dorms are located on the second floor up. Each of those floors has four rooms, for a total of five floors. Each individual room, meanwhile is outfitted with air conditioning, a toilet, a fridge, and a closet. It's pretty luxurious." Aizawa told them, opening the door to a random room to show them.

Halyn peered inside. The room was a typical bedroom size, and supplied with a bed, desk, dresser, and fridge. It was a decent amount of space and Halyn already had a good idea how she was going to set her room up.

"There's even a veranda! Awesome!" Midoriya called from the veranda.

Halyn joined him, peering over the rail. Depending on what floor she was on, Halyn would have a good view of the school campus. Aizawa supplied them with the room assignments then. With only seven girls, it was pretty much two to a floor. It was Yaoyorozu and Asui on the fifth floor, Uraraka and Mina on the fourth floor, Jiro and Toru on the third floor, and Halyn had the only female room on the second floor. The boys, on the other hand, were four or three to a floor. Mineta, Midoriya, Aoyama, and Tokoyami on the second floor, Kouda, Kaminari, Ida, and Ojiro on the third floor, Shoji, Kirishima and Bakugo on the fourth floor, and Sato, Todoroki, and Sero on the fifth floor.

With all that shown, they retreated back to the first floor where Halyn's brothers, Nezu, Midnight, and Snipe were waiting.

"The rooms will be laid out as we saw fit. All of the luggage we had you send us beforehand should be in your respective rooms. For the time being, go get all your stuff set in your rooms. I'll explain what we'll be doing next tomorrow. You are dismissed." Aizawa told them.

"Yes, sensei!" the students replied.

With that done, Aizawa joined the other teachers with talking with Halyn's brothers. The four brothers were watching Halyn as she spoke with her female classmates.

"What are you going to do about funeral services?" Midnight asked once Aizawa joined them.

"We discussed it with Halyn and we all agreed to cremate him and do the services here." Remus told them, turning his eyes to them. "We didn't want to put more strain on Halyn by doing them in Italy."

"Not to mention, we were hoping that a few of you would attend. You know, to support Halyn." Felix added.

"Of course." Nezu agreed. "Anything to support a student."

"Thank you. I know it would mean a lot to her. We'll be doing services the day after tomorrow." Remus said, before his eyes turned back to Halyn.

They all watched as the girl smiled lightly at something one of her friends said. She still seemed so tired and exhausted.

"I still say we should take her back to Italy. At least until she's fully back to herself." Maximus remarked, leaning on his crutches with a heavy sigh.

"We gave her a choice and she was firm in her resolve to return. As her brothers, it's now our job to support her the best we can." Remus told him.

"I know. I still don't like the idea of trying to push herself too hard." Maximus grumbled.

"None of us do, but family supports family no matter their choices. Now go say goodbye to your sister. We'll talk to her again later." Remus ordered.

The twins lead the way, Maximus hobbling after them, grumbling to himself. Remus turned to Nezu and Aizawa then.

"Please, let us know if anything comes up." Remus requested.

"Will do." Aizawa assured him.

With a bow of his head, Remus joined his brothers in bidding their sister goodbye. Once they were gone, Halyn, like all of her classmates, retreated to her new room to unpack. Todoroki had wanted to speak to her before that, but Halyn was already in the elevator and on her way to her floor before he could call her name. He would just have to talk to her later in the day.

Talk to her, and apologize for not being able to save her.

END

Kyandi: I bet I had a few of you just a little bit worried that she was going to try to quit.

Halyn: Don't yank their tails too much.

Kyandi: Aw, but it's fun sometimes.

Halyn: Not for them.

Kyandi: True. Buzz kill.

Halyn: Don't be immature.

Kyandi: Yeah, yeah. Anyone, I have another chapter, so everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be right back.

Kyandi: Bye-bye


	24. Next Step Forward

Kyandi: And we have returned.

Halyn: Once again, we apologize for taking so long.

Kyandi: It's been a long couple of weeks. After moving, I always have difficulty settling in enough to get back into my writing.

Halyn: She's starting to get back into her groove.

Kyandi: Yep. After these two chapters, I'm going to work on updating a few other stories too. So those of you who read my other stories, look forward to that.

Halyn: Also, please continue to spread word of the gofundme page Kyandi-sama has set up for her mother. The link in on her bio page.

Kyandi: I would appreciate it if you guys would, at least, pass on word.

Halyn: With that, should we move on?

Kyandi: Yep. Everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 24 Next Step Forward

Later that evening, after the sun had set and everyone's room was done, all the members of the class ended up in a Who-has-the-best-room contest. All but Bakugo and Asui, that is. They started with the boys, going through, first, Midoriya's All Might room, then Tokoyami's black themed room. Next was Aoyama's room which was made of everything shiny.

Halyn had never seen a disco ball in such a small room and she was sure she would have bright spots in her vision for the rest of the day.

They avoided Mineta's room and moved on to Ojiro's which was pretty normal as far as rooms went. Ida's book cluttered room was next, followed by Kaminari's kitschy room. Koda's room came next and came with a pet bunny.

It wasn't until after seeing Koda's room that the boys realized that, up until that moment, they had only seen the boys' rooms and demanded that be changed. Mina agreed quickly for the girls as a whole and, after seeing the rest of the boys' room and the girls falling in love with Sato's baking, they decided to start with the first girl on the lowest floor.

Halyn.

All eyes turned to Halyn who had been quietly following at the back of the pack. When they all looked at her, she heaved a sigh. Even Todoroki, who had been indifferent thus far, was interested to see what Halyn's room looked like. Even when she had lived in her apartment, he had never seen inside her actual bedroom even though she had been in his before.

"Alright, I suppose, but..." Halyn turned her eyes on Mineta. "If you so much as approach my dresser, you aren't going to like it."

With that said, they headed down to the second floor. With no one else but Halyn on the girls' side of the floor, it was quiet. Halyn had been situated right in the middle of the hall. When they stopped outside her door for her to open it, she reminded Mineta, one last time, to stay away from her dresser before she opened the door.

The room beyond surprised them. Halyn, in the time she had been setting up her room, had managed to paint the room. The wall around her veranda door and the wall opposite it, were painted red, while the other two walls were painted a blue to match her hair with vine and flower designs painted in white. The bed was draped in a similar color scheme and a plush, red rug was laid in the middle of the floor. A low sitting coffee table was placed over it, a pile of fluffy pillows set up to offer something to sit on.

The dresser had been moved to the foot of her bed a TV sitting on top, facing the bed. A laptop and printer were set up on the desk, a bookshelf neatly filled with books, sitting beside the desk. Her fridge had magnets on the front, pictures already pinned to the front, a microwave sitting on top of that. Shelves had been hung all over the walls, one playing home to a cat bed, another shelf, made from an actual dresser drawer, holding a food and water bowl. Twinkling wall lights lined her veranda door as well as ran across her ceiling.

Out on her veranda, ceramic, Roman themed pots were over flowing with flowered plants she was growing and a little crystal topped table held an array of gardening tools and spray bottles. None of them had known that Halyn liked to garden. Pictures were set just about everywhere, but the thing that drew the most attention, was a wine rack next to her fridge that played home to several wine bottles.

"Is that real wine?!" Kaminari asked.

"Of course not. It's grape juice and ciders." Halyn replied. "Though, legally, I can start drinking back home in just a year."

"Seriously?!" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah. In Italy, sixteen year-olds can legally drink, as long as it's with a meal at a restaurant." Halyn told him as Mineta, even after being warned, started towards Halyn's dresser, his fingers itching to peer inside.

Before Mineta could even touch the drawer, though, there was a loud yowl and Halyn's cat, Salvatore, dropped from one of the shelves above to land on Mineta's head. Mineta screamed and took off running out of the room, trying to pul the cat off in the process.

"I told him not to try." Halyn remarked as they watched Mineta run by the door, the cat tormenting him. "Apparently, he forgot about my guard cat."

And a grievous mistake that was.

"Hey! It's us!"

Everyone turned as Mina picked up a picture frame sitting on Halyn's desk. The picture inside was one Halyn had taken the day they had spent at the school pool before summer camp. Everyone in the picture, save for a few like Bakugo and Todoroki, had a wide smile on their faces.

"Oh. Yeah, I just got copies printed off. A lot of the pictures in here are of us as a class." Halyn confirmed, gesturing to the frames spread throughout the room.

"Whoa! She's telling the truth! It's me!" Kirishima said, pointing to a picture of a group of the boys that sat on the top shelf of her bookshelf along side a group picture of Halyn with her female classmates that was probably taken at a fast food place because there were tables and a menu board in the background.

Todoroki found one of him, too. It was sitting on her dresser along side the TV and pictures of her parents and brothers. In the picture, he was focusing on reading something. Halyn must have snagged the picture when he wasn't paying attention.

While he stared at the picture and the others comments on Halyn's room, Halyn called her cat back, Salvatore walking into the room before jumping up on one of the shelves to clean his claws. Mineta came staggering back in, then, thin scratches marring his face.

Halyn gave her cat a treat.

With that, they left Halyn's room and continued with the contest. Once they had seen the rest of the rooms, they went back downstairs. In the end, Sato won the contest simply because the girls had all voted in favor of his cake.

While her classmates chattered and talked, Halyn approached Todoroki. When he turned to her, she had a serious look on her face.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

Todoroki nodded and followed her to a back hall, away from sight and hearing of their classmates. When they were alone, she turned to look at him and shocked him with the words that came out of her mouth then.

"Thank you, Shoto."

Todoroki blinked in surprise. He had never expected her to thank him. After all, he had failed to save her and had failed again, to rescue her. He didn't deserve her thanks in any way.

"There's nothing to thank me for. I didn't do anything." he told her.

"But you did...you came for me."

Todoroki fixed his eyes on her face. It took him a moment to understand the unspoken meaning behind those words.

Halyn was thanking him, not for rescuing her, but for at least attempting to save her. She was thanking him for caring enough about her to risk himself and go after her.

She was thanking him for coming after her where her father hadn't.

And then she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his chest. She buried her face in his chest, taking a deep breath before she continued.

"I don't care if you weren't able to help me. You cared enough to come after me and that, alone, means so much more to me. I can't even begin to express how grateful I am." she told him. "So, thank you."

He could feel her finger tips digging into his back. Without thinking, he laid his hands on her back, lightly hugging her back.

"Always." he promised.

Halyn didn't back up, didn't release him. For a moment, she simply remained there, silent. It made him wonder if she was alright.

"I...I was scared." came her small voice, her grip on him tightening just a bit more. "I didn't know what had happened to the others, to Ka-chan...to you. I didn't know how I was going to get away, how I would fight that monster of a man when his quirk is just like mine, and it...it scared me. I haven't been that scared since Flame Lash first darkened my doorway. I don't know what I would have done if I found out that, after all I did, you and the others had been more hurt than you were."

Todoroki could feel the trembling in her shoulders as she remembered how helpless she had been in the face of All for One. Idly, he rubbed her back, trying to calm her. Of course, true to her nature, she had been more afraid for them than she had been for herself.

"And then I...I killed my father."

"No, you didn't." Todoroki insisted.

"But, I did, Shoto. Whatever that man might have made of him, that Nomu had still been my father at one time, and I-I killed him." Halyn replied.

"You did what you had to. He might have been your father at one time, but he wasn't anymore. He was just suffering like that and would have been proud that you had saved him from hurting more people. Besides...it's not like you were being cruel. You were trying to help those he was attacking. Instead of thinking of it as killing him, you should be seeing it as not only saving those around him, but saving him as well." Todoroki told her.

She knew he had a point, but it still hurt. She might be able to see the bright side in most things, but she was still human and it still hurt her heart. She could accept and move past her capture by the League of Villains, she could even do so with the torment she had faced at the hands of All for One, but this...this was something she would need time to come to terms with.

"Shoto."

"Yeah?"

"...can I cry now?"

Todoroki's arms tightened around her just a bit. Halyn had been there for him, now it was his turn to be there for her.

"Yeah, go ahead." he told her.

He felt her release a ragged breath before she let out a small sob. Halyn had told him, once before, that her mother had always told her that tears weren't the sign of someone weak, but rather the sign that someone had been strong for too long. For too long now, Halyn had held it together, had shouldered one incident after the other, putting a smile on her face for those around her. She more than deserved the chance to weep over the father she had lost a long time ago.

And he would be there.

So, as she sobbed into the front of his shirt, he lightly rubbed circles into her back. He would see to it that she had this moment because starting the next day, they would all be thrust back into their hero training and Halyn would have to face a lot more over the coming days.

For now, he'd let her cry.

-0-0-0-0-

The next morning found them all sitting in their desks in their classroom, Aizawa standing before them. He would be explaining to them how they would proceed from there on out.

"As I told you all yesterday, our first priority is to acquire provisional licenses." he started. "Hero licenses are a serious responsibility. They are directly concerned with matters of life and death. As such, the exam to receive qualification is very hard. Even the average yearly passing rate for just the provisional license exam is only about fifty percent."

"It's that hard just for the provisional license?" Mineta asked.

"So starting today, each of one of you will be devising at least two new super moves!" Aizawa told them, calling in Midnight, Cemetoss, and Ectoplasm.

The three teachers would be helping them on their quest to devise super moves. Something that most of Halyn's classmates found to be awesome. Halyn was silent because she knew exactly what was about to come out of Aizawa's mouth.

"Leander, until you're cleared by the doctor, you'll be focusing on mentally preparing." Aizawa said.

"Yes sir." Halyn replied.

Not that she was going to complain. Her body was still moving stiffly. She didn't think she could really train at the moment, even if she wanted to.

"Now it's both school-like and hero-like!" Kirishima yelled.

"That's right, super moves! In other words, killer techniques sure to win the day!" Ectoplasm told them.

"And any such technique that's truly one with you admits no imitation. The meaning of battle lies in how far you can push your unique skills!" Cemetoss added.

"And your moves are your symbol!" Midnight chimed in. "In this day and age, if you're a pro hero without any super moves, you're an endangered species!"

"We'll tell you all the details alongside some demonstrations, proceeding in a logical manner. Go change into your costumes and assemble at Gamma Gym." Aizawa ordered.

Since Halyn wouldn't be psychically taking part, she remained in her school uniform and simply made her way over to the gym with the teachers. When the others arrived in their costumes, explanations were started by Cemetoss introducing the gym as Training and Dining Land, or TDL for short.

"This is my personal facility; I can fashion whatever terrain or objects I believe best suit each individual student." Cemetoss told them. "That's where the "Dining" part of the name comes from."

"Please, may I ask a question!" Ida called, raising a hand. "Why is it that super moves are necessary for us to obtain provisional licenses?! I respectfully implore you to let us hear the whole plan!"

"I'll lay it all out in order. Take it easy." Aizawa told him. "Whether they encounter incidents, criminal or accidental, disasters natural or man-made, it's a hero's job to rescue people from all kinds of peril. And the exam for the license will of course be judging your aptitude. Insight, agility, judgment and fighting prowess along with other criteria such as communication skill, charm, and leadership ability. The exam will test your aptitude at many of these skills as its contents change every year."

"But within that paradigm, the item that will receive far and away the most emphasis for upcoming heroes is fighting prowess. So if you prepare for that, you won't have any cause for concern! Just keep in mind that having moves for battle greatly influences how likely it is you pass." Midnight assured them.

"If you can resist getting caught up in the sway of the situation and maintain stability on the field, then you'll be in possession of a high-level fighting prowess." Cemetoss added.

"And there's no reason our super move has to be offensive in nature. For example...Ida's Recipro Burst." Ectoplasm said. "A temporary extreme speed boost is a threat in itself, and as such is worthy enough for the title of "super move"."

"It's worthy enough to be a super move, you say...!"

To Halyn, it sounded like the boy was fighting back tears as he said that.

"Oh, I get it...so we just need to think of a move that'd make us go "All I need is to use it and then I've got the edge"." Sato remarked.

"Yes! Remember how Kamui Woods made his dynamic entrance the other day? Lacquer Prison is a fine example of a super move! And it's not hard to see why, either." Midnight explained.

"So that's what that "quirk extension" training was for at the camp." Halyn remarked.

"Right." Aizawa confirmed. "That training that was cut short during camp this summer...was supposed to be a step in the process of creating your own super moves. So in the ten days of summer break that we have left between now and the start of the next semester, you're in for some two-in-one training. As you'll be whipping up new super moves and extending your quirks at the same time!"

Halyn watched as Cemetoss changed up the terrain of the room, creating different level platforms. On each platform, Ectoplasm placed one of his clones. This would serve as their training area.

"Furthermore, you'll also be thinking of how best to upgrade your costume to go with your quirk extension training and new super moves." Aizawa added. "You shall break past these walls with "Plus Ultra" on your lips. Now, are you ready?"

A loud cheer of agreement rang out from the class. Halyn stood back, watching as her classmates got to work, each student working with a clone of Ectoplasm on how to start with developing their super moves. Halyn was left on the sidelines, feeling dejected. The real Ectoplasm focused in on her then, along with Aizawa.

"Leander." Aizawa called, pulling her attention to him.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.

"Have you been able to figure out all of the quirks you were forced to assimilate?" Aizawa asked.

"Yes, sir. Though..." Halyn pressed a hand to her stomach. "He forced a few out and exchanged them with others. There's still seven in total, though."

"Interesting," Ectoplasm remarked. "What are they?"

"I don't know the original names of five of them, so I renamed them myself." Halyn replied. "One that he left that I took from the Nomu was Electric Teleport."

The two teachers watched as Halyn shifted, rolling her shoulders when she mentioned the Nomu, but she continued on easily.

"Electric Teleport?" Aizawa asked.

"It allows me to teleport from one place to another from within a bubble of electricity. I don't know how to further explain it." Halyn told them.

Before either teacher could ask her to demonstrate, in a flash of electric bolts, Halyn vanished, reappearing between them. Standing so close to her when she did it, the electricity caused Aizawa's already messy hair, to stand on end. He ran a hand through his hair as Halyn paced back to her beginning spot.

"Interesting power. Could have many uses, especially for rescue." Ectoplasm remarked.

"I thought so too." Halyn agreed. "Another quirk I originally got from the Nomu, was Revivify."

"Revivify?" Aizawa asked.

"It's a self-healing quirk. My injuries heal almost as quickly as I get them. But, when I fought that villain with the blue flames, I realized that the more I'm injured, the greater the injuries, the more of my energy and stamina it drains. It's not a quirk I can continuously use, thoughtlessly." Halyn replied.

"Perhaps not, but it'll come in handy in a pinch." Aizawa told her.

"I don't know about that. Right now, I have no control over it and, therefore, can't decide which injuries to heal and which to leave for the time being. I might not ever be able to." Halyn replied.

"That just means you'll have to be more careful about getting injured. It's not a bad thing considering how thoughtlessly you throw your body around sometimes." Aizawa told her.

She had a feeling he was going to say something like that.

"The last quirk that I still have from the Nomu...was my father's quirk, Tiger's Soul."

Aizawa and Ectoplasm shared a look. They knew it was still a sensitive subject, but this was something they had to go through with her.

"How does it work?" Aizawa asked.

"It gives me the reflexes and senses of a tiger. It also causes parts of my body to become tiger-like. You know, covered in striped fur, claws, and the like. My father had been able to achieve a full tiger-human hybrid form. If I pushed it, I might be able to, too." Halyn explained.

"The other quirks?"

By this point, Midnight was writing down each and every quirk from where she stood behind Halyn.

"There's the quirk I got from Flame Lash; Blaze Whip. It coats my hands in flames and allows me to form whips from those flames. I found, recently, that I can change the flow of the flames and coat my arms and upper body in them. All without burning myself." Halyn explained.

"Next." Aizawa prompted.

"Replica. It's an adoptive muscle memory quirk. Allows me to replicate any kind of move I've observed another doing." Halyn continued.

"That one would help her if she assimilates any more quirks because then she can move like the original holder." Midnight remarked, writing it down.

"We need to focus on the quirks she has now." Aizawa told Midnight before gesturing for Halyn to continue.

"Tide. And no, not like the tide in the sea. Tide as in giving tide at a church." Halyn said. "It allows me to absorb the energy of another's attack and use it as my own energy. You know, take and give back, that kind of thing. Depending on how much energy I take in, I can hold it for a short while or a long time."

"And the last one?" Aizawa asked.

Halyn fixed her eyes on him.

"Actually, it's a lot like your quirk, Aizawa-sensei." Halyn told him.

This had Aizawa raising an eyebrow at her.

"So, it's an erasure type quirk?" he asked.

"Yes. Null and Void is it's name. I can neutralize another quirk, but, unlike your's, I can only do it when I come into skin-to-skin contact with another and it last as long as I can maintain that contact. Looks like I now have another reason to wear the gloves." Halyn replied.

Seven quirks, each more different than the last. Some would be best suited for defense, others for offense. It would all depend on how Halyn used them. First things first, though...giving Halyn back her control.

"First off...you need to rename Tiger's Soul and Blaze Whip." Aizawa said.

Halyn's eyes snapped up to him, her expression one of confusion and questioning.

"Rename them? Why?" she asked.

"Because...they're **your** quirks now. You told Todoroki something similar once. Take your own advice." Aizawa told her.

Halyn's eyes dropped as she considered this. By renaming the quirks, she was taking ownership of them, completely claiming them as hers. She could definitely see what Aizawa was trying to do by insisting she rename them before they did anymore training. While she was all for renaming Flame Lash's quirk, she was a little hesitant with her father's quirk. She would start with the first and handle the second after that.

"Touch of Fire."

Aizawa raised an eyebrow as Halyn stared at her hands. He watched as fire suddenly sprouted from her palms, coating her hands in pure white flames. Holding up her hands, she watched the flames dance over her hands.

"I'll rename it Touch of Fire." Halyn clarified.

Aizawa watched her for a moment as she put out the flames. Turning a look to Midnight, who was writing it all down, he gave her a nod to change the name. Then he refocused on Halyn who shifted uncomfortably on her feet. It was obvious to see that she didn't feel right renaming her father's quirk.

"Leander?" he asked.

"I...I don't feel right renaming Father's. It's different with Touch of Fire, but...this is my father's quirk and I've basically stolen it from him." Halyn admitted, linking her hands together. "It feels like I'm trying to forget that, to forget what happened and what I've done, and it doesn't feel right. Doesn't feel...morally sound."

Looking at her face as she told them this, Aizawa could tell that, no matter what she said, she was still struggling. She might try to spin it all into a brighter light, but the girl was struggling. And he couldn't really blame her, either.

"Don't think of it as stealing his quirk. In the end, you're his daughter. Think of it as the quirk simply being reborn." Aizawa told her.

He watched as Halyn's brain, her clever little brain, latched onto those words and begun to spin them, running them over and over. He could tell the moment they actually clicked in her head and her eyes rose with a new shine in them.

"Reborn...Reborn Tiger." she said lowly before giving a nod. "Reborn Tiger. I wouldn't be scraping the whole name, but it would still be mine."

Aizawa smiled to himself. He thanked the gods that Halyn's mine was one that bounced back quickly and made the best of what she had. He wasn't sure how well she would have recovered if that wasn't the case.

"Good. Now, with your new quirks in mind, let's get to thinking about how to improve your costume." Aizawa told her.

Halyn nodded. Despite how she still felt, she needed to be able to move forward. This name was a compromise between how she felt and what she needed to do. Now that it was done, she had a lot she needed to consider. Not just with her costume, but with her life and how she was going to proceed from there.

First things first...a new costume.

-0-0-0-0-

After finishing training and sending the students back to their dorms, the teachers all gathered in the teacher's lounge to discuss the day's progress. It was there, the teachers flipping through reports they had made tracking the students' progress, that a knock on the door suddenly sounded. Cemetoss, who was closest to the door, opened it, revealing...Halyn.

"Leander? What is it?" Nezu asked from where he sat.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, sir, but...I really needed to speak to All Might." Halyn said, giving the principal a polite bow.

"Me?"

All Might pointed to himself as all attention turned to him.

"If you don't mind. I just...I have something I need to ask you. It's alright if you'd like to stay seated. I'll make it quick." Halyn told him.

Though he wasn't sure what she could have to ask him, he gave her a nod. Bowing to the other teachers and asking them to excuse her, she approached All Might's desk. She was already clenching her hands together tightly when she stood before him.

"What is it?" All Might asked.

"Sir, is it...is it true that I'm related to All for One?"

All movement and talking in the room came to a complete stand still, everyone turning their attention to Halyn. All Might even looked at her in shock. He had made sure, after everything she had been through, that no one who had heard, said a word to her. He was sure that, with everything else going on in her life, that she didn't need that kind of news. Especially since the DNA tests came back to prove that All for One had told the truth and that he and Halyn did, in fact, share DNA, proving they were related.

"I don't know where you heard that from-"

"He told me, himself." Halyn said, cutting All Might off. "I know villains lie, but I was pretty sure that you wouldn't leave it to his word and would try to find out for sure. So, please, be honest with me, sir...is he?"

All Might stared at Halyn, meeting her resolved gaze as she stared back at him. What he said next could potentially have devastating effects, depending on how Halyn took it. That being said, she would never forgive him if he lied to her now. So, heaving a sigh, he gave her the truth.

"Yeah, he was telling the truth. The DNA test proved you two are linked by blood." he told her.

Halyn's eyes widened for a moment and then they dropped to the floor. Even her tail dropped to hang limply. It was obvious that she was hit hard. Especially when her head dropped, her bangs hiding her eyes from him, her mouth twisting.

"I see." she said lowly.

"Leander-"

"Do you hate me now, knowing that I'm related to your greatest enemy?"

All Might, for a moment was speechless. She wasn't worried about how she felt about this whole thing, but was worried about rather or not he hated her now. The girl could easily slay someone's heart. Especially when she looked so dejected.

"Leander..."

He didn't even know where to start with Halyn and when all he said was her name, he watched as her mouth twisted again. What was he suppose to say to her? He had a feeling that if he just denied it, she wouldn't believe him and this was too important to just leave as it was.

But what was he suppose to say?

"I refuse..." All Might looked up at Halyn as she spoke, her hands gripped together so tightly, her knuckles were bleached white. "I refuse to be even a bit like him."

Her grip on her hands tightened to the point that they started shaking. It wasn't hard to miss the firm resolve she felt towards that one little statement.

"I might have the blood of a villain in my veins, but...I also have the blood of heroes there too. As far as I'm concerned, the latter is all that matters. My parents and their parents before them, and their parents before that, even my brothers, were all heroes. I refuse to tarnish their good names and I refuse to sit back while others suffer. I won't do it. No matter what he says, I refuse to ever make the awful choices that he has. Even if our quirks are the same, I will never use mine to hurt innocent people and I absolutely will never use it to hurt another for my own personal gain. So please, sir...please have faith in me. I will never be like All for One. There are too many people out there suffering as it is. I won't add to it."

All Might, just like many of the teachers, couldn't help the smile on his face. It wasn't a matter of circumstances, she simply refused to give into All for One's bad influence. Rising to his feet, All Might placed a hand on her head, making her look up at him as he smiled at her.

"And **that** is what makes you a hero, not a villain, Leander." he told her.

"Sir?" she asked, slightly confused.

All Might gave her hair a ruffle, Halyn squeezing one eyes shut, her tail giving one flick.

"You don't have to worry, kid. I've seen proof of your character, time and again. I have no doubt, despite your connection to him, that you are a true hero in the making. I don't hate you. Never could." All Might assured her.

"Regardless of what this recent event might have brought to light, we have faith in you, Leander." Nezu said, making Halyn look at him.

"We all do. You shouldn't worry so much." Aizawa added.

"See? You've got nothing to worry about, so focus more on recovering. Okay, kid?" All Might told her, giving her hair another ruffle.

When Halyn looked up at him, All Might knew she understood. She gave him a relieved smile, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Right. Thank you, sir." she told him before turning and bowing to the other teachers. "And thank all of you. I haven't been able to thank anyone for their efforts in saving Ka-chan and I, and I know he won't do it, so allow me to thank all of you on the behalf of us both. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

All Might smiled as he watched Halyn. While, yes, he had found out that she was blood kin of All for One, his greatest enemy, Halyn was, without a doubt, a hero, through and through. She was kind and considerate, polite, and had an undeniable drive to help those around her. When she messed up, she admitted it and apologized. When she put someone else out, when she caused another person unnecessary grief, she apologized. She would never hurt another person like a villain would.

All Might had faith that she would, some day, make a great hero.

After she recovered and regain her confidence, that is.

END

Kyandi: And there's the second chapter.

Halyn: And she already has a drawing done of me in my second costume design.

Kyandi: It will take me a while to scan it and post it, though, because, well...

Halyn: She still can't find her scanner in all the moving boxes.

Kyandi: Okay, look...I had to move five people and all of their junk. Even though I have been in my new house for three weeks, I still have not unpacked even a fourth of the boxes stacked in my garage.

Halyn: That's a lot of boxes.

Kyandi: It is and I have zero help. So I will get back to looking for that while all of you enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	25. Saying Goodbye

Kyandi: Greetings, Kyandiacs!

Halyn: We're back.

Kyandi: Now, before we start the chapter, at the end of the chapter, I'm going to be moving into a character arc for Halyn.

Halyn: And because this character arc was co-thought of with someone else, we have some shout outs and disclaimers to get to.

Kyandi: First off, thank you to FantasyQuirksandmore for the wonderful ideas and characters he supplied me just for this. It was a lot of fun working with him to come up with a plot line for this character arc.

Halyn: So the new characters about to make an appearance are to be credited to him.

Kyandi: Right. On a second note, I'm sorry the chapter is on the shorter side. It's just suppose to be a bridge into the arc.

Halyn: With that, should we get started?

Kyandi: Yep. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia, nor does the own the new characters that will start to make an appearance.

Chapter 25 Saying Goodbye

Funeral plans for Halyn's father, due to Halyn's body still not having recovered, got pushed back a few more days, giving the Leander siblings a few more days to finalize plans. Over those coming days, after morning training, Halyn, with either Snipe, Midnight, or Present Mic as an escort, would leave campus to finish funeral preparations for her father. She wouldn't return until close to dinner time.

The day before the funeral services, Halyn came back to the dorm with a surprise. Upon seeing her, her classmates stared in disbelief.

"Ha-chan! What did you do to your hair?!" Uraraka exclaimed.

Halyn reached up to touch her hair. The waist long strands now fell between chin and shoulder length, the ends curling slightly inward. The girl had cut off over half her hair in the time she had been off campus.

"I only cut it. I only kept it long so my father might be able to somewhat recognize me when he finally came back. I don't have to worry about that now." Halyn remarked. "Does it look bad?"

Bad?

Todoroki had been stopped in his tracks upon seeing the hair cut. She was pretty with her long hair, but this new hair cut gave her a more mature, but also more vulnerable, look. Especially when she stared at the floor, petting her hair in a way that made it look like she was questioning if she shouldn't have cut her hair.

Todoroki didn't know about his classmates, but he liked the new hair cut.

"No, no! It looks great!" Uraraka rushed to assure Halyn.

"It's lovely, but...did you have to go so short?" Yaoyorozu asked, lightly touching Halyn's hair. "I mean...your long hair was stunning."

"I know, but it was also difficult to take care of. With all the training for our provisional licenses, I just don't have the time to worry about it anymore. Not to mention...it kind of gets in the way during a fight." Halyn reasoned before turning to Asui. "I don't know how you do it, Tsuyu."

Todoroki watched from a chair at one of the tables as the others gave their opinions on her new hair cut. For the most part, it was all good comments. Then Halyn turned to look at him.

"What do you think, Shoto?" she asked.

All eyes turned to him, making him feel like he was being put on the spot. He shifted his eyes back to the book sitting on the table in front of him. Anything so he didn't have to see the looks cast his way.

"It's fine." was all he said.

Though Todoroki didn't see it, the others watched as Halyn deflated slightly, obviously disappointed with the reaction she had gotten. It was pretty clear that she had been looking for his approval over the hair cut. It had a few boys groaning lowly while the girls shook their heads.

Todoroki was dense.

"Well...anyway," Halyn said, refocusing her attention on her other classmates. "If you guys want to, Aizawa-sensei got approval for you to leave campus to attend the services tomorrow. You don't have to go if you don't want to..."

Halyn trailed off, heaving a sigh. Instantly, Mina had an arm around her shoulders, Toru grabbing onto one of her hands.

"Of course we're going!" Mina told her.

"We must support each other and stick together." Yaoyorozu said, the other girls agreeing.

"The girls are right! Count us in, too." Kirishima called from the couch, the boys nodding. "Right, Bakugo?"

"Yeah, whatever." Bakugo barked from across the room, his back to them.

Halyn couldn't help the smile on her face when even Bakugo agreed. That last one had shocked her, but it also made her extremely happy. She couldn't thank them enough for their friendship and support in a time when she really needed it.

"Thanks, guys. You're the greatest friends a girl could have." she told them.

"Are you sure you're okay, though?" Toru asked.

"Yeah, you're looking kinda pale." Jiro added.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. I think I'm going to lay down until dinner." Halyn replied.

With a smile and a reassurance to her friends that she was fine, Halyn retreated to her room. Todoroki watched her until she vanished onto the elevator. When he turned back around, he found the girls staring at him from across the table.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"You're really dense." Mina retorted, the other girls agreeing.

That was all they said before they walked away, leaving a confused Todoroki behind. He didn't get what they meant, what he could have done to make them say that. And they certainly didn't bother explaining it to him either.

Sometimes, girls really just baffled him.

-0-0-0-0-

That night, Todoroki found himself being awoken at three in the morning by a light knock on his door. Getting out of his futon, he got up to answer his door, expecting to find one of his male classmates. Instead, he found Halyn, dressed in her night gown and looking like she had done nothing but toss and turn for the last four hours.

"Halyn?" he asked softly.

Halyn looked up at him, her expression a mix of sheepish and miserable.

"I can't sleep." was all she said.

Todoroki didn't even stop to think it through, he merely stepped aside and let her into his room. Closing the door behind her, he turned to her. Halyn was peering around his room, her hands tangled together in front of her.

"This room really is so like you, Shoto." she remarked before turning to him.

There was a small smile on her face, but he could tell...she was close to tears. Her arms shifted then, wrapping around her, her eyes bright with un-shed tears.

"Your dad?" he asked.

"I..." Halyn trailed off for a moment, her tail dropping to hang miserably behind her. "For so long I held onto the hope, the belief, that someday, one day before I was old, he would come home. That he would show up and give me that crooked smile of his and apologize for being gone so long. I just thought that he was too ashamed of himself to come home. I just wanted to..."

Halyn, once again, trailed off, her eyes falling to the tatami mat-covered floor. Her hair, now too short to catch on her shoulder, fell forward to hide her face from him.

"You wanted to what?" he asked.

"I wanted to talk to my father again. Just once more. I wanted to hear his laugh, to feel his large hand as he patted my head. I just wanted my father back. Now...he's dead." Halyn replied.

"He was gone long before you killed that Nomu. It was All for One who took his life from him. Not you." Todoroki told her.

Halyn raised her head, giving him a sad smile. She knew he was merely trying to make her feel better, and she was grateful for that attempt.

"I know. You're right, of course, but...I really don't want to go to those services tomorrow." she told him.

"Why?"

"Because then I have to fully admit that he's gone and not coming back."

Todoroki watched her as she sighed, idly rubbing at one arm. She wasn't ready to let go of her father when she had just found out what had happened to him all those years ago. It was then that Todoroki remembered something. Without a word, he moved across the room, Halyn's eyes following him until he stopped to pull something out of a drawer.

"Shoto?" she asked.

"I forgot about this until now." he said, turning to her.

He approached her, taking her hand to place something in her hand. Halyn looked down as he released her hand. When her eyes landed on the object cradled in her hand, her eyes widened, the un-shed tears finally overflowing and falling down her cheeks.

There, shining in the low light from the bathroom...was her father's locket.

"I found it after you were taken." Todoroki told her.

"I thought I had lost it for good." Halyn remarked, her fingers tracing the designs etched into the metal.

"It was your dad's right?"

"My mother's." Halyn corrected. "My mother always wanted a daughter. After four boys and a doctor telling her there was a high possibility she would never conceive again, she thought she wouldn't have one. So, when I was born, my father had two of these made. One has been with me for as long as I can remember, and the other, this very one, stayed with my mother. When she died, Father took it to wear."

"Now you have both while they're back together."

Halyn's eyes rose to Todoroki's face then, surprise on her face. She hadn't thought it like that. The thought had her smiling in a fond way, her fingers closing around the locket.

"You're right. Thank you, Shoto."

"Can you sleep now?" he asked.

"Not in that quiet room, alone."

Todoroki had a good idea where this was going and while he was sure they would get in trouble later for it, it didn't stop the words that came out of his mouth. It was just sleep after all. Completely harmless.

"Then sleep here."

-0-0-0-0-

The next morning, thankfully, Todoroki was the first awake in the dorm. He awoke to Halyn half draped over him, her tail draped across the both of them and her hair tickling his nose while she gripped her mother's locket in one hand. One of her legs was completely hooked around one of his and he could swear...she was purring in her sleep. She was almost completely cuddled under the blanket, as if she had been freezing all night. He didn't see how that was possible.

To him, she was like a furnace.

The sun was just starting to rise, casting the first rays of pink and orange through his windows, and Todoroki was sure the others would start to wake up soon. While he hated to wake her when she had only, finally, fallen asleep a few hours before, he knew she had to get up. So, laying a hand on her shoulder, he gave her a light shake.

"Halyn."

A groan escaped her lips before she shifted, opening her eyes. For a moment, she just laid there, blinking, as if trying to get her bearings. Finally she shifted, fully waking up.

"Yeah?" she asked, yawning.

"You need to get back to your room before the others wake up." he told her.

Though she heaved a sigh, she pushed herself up, rubbing the back of her hand against one eye. Yawning again, she stretched, Todoroki watching in amusement as she managed to resemble a cat stretching after a long cat nap.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"A little after six. Everyone else will start waking up soon." he told her, sitting up.

"Right."

Halyn got to her feet, running a hand through her hair, the other still gripping the locket. Todoroki followed her as she turned to finger comb the fur on her tail.

"When will your brothers be here for you?" he asked.

Halyn let out a long breath that managed to sound tired and sad. Taking in another breath as she pressed the locket to her chest, she turned to look at him.

"Around eight. I better go. I need to bathe before going." she replied.

Todoroki saw her out the door, promising to see her later. Standing in the door way, he waited until she vanished onto the elevator at the end of the hall. It was easy to tell that she was still out of sorts, but after so long of waiting and hoping her father would come home, Todoroki couldn't blame her.

He would just have to keep a close eye on her.

-0-0-0-0-

The services, held in a more traditionally Western style, passed quickly with a Catholic priest giving a short sermon. The urn containing the ashes of Halyn's father, sat on a table at the alter, old pictures of him with his family on full display around the urn. The room was over run with all of Halyn's favorite flowers.

Remus, when asked by one of Halyn's classmates why he had gone with Halyn's favorites, had replied that he had insisted on Halyn's favorite flowers because, one, Halyn and her father had liked the same flowers-tigerlilies, white tulips, and blue Forget-me-nots-and, two, because the services were more for Halyn to properly say goodbye. The flowers created a mix of pinkish-red, blue, and white, a single tigerlily tucked behind Halyn's ear.

Halyn sat in the front pew of the church with her brothers, the five siblings dressed in all black. Halyn, herself, was the picture of mourning in a black, knee-length, halter style dress with black flats and a black shawl hanging from her shoulders. The only color, aside from the siblings' blue hair, was the single tigerlily that each of them had tucked somewhere on their person.

After the service, they relocated to the cemetery, Halyn carrying her father's ashes, to pay respects to the new family grave. There each of her friends stepped up to offer their condolences and to place a single flower in a flower pot placed in front of the headstone. Once each of them had done so, they were loaded up on the bus to be returned to school, Halyn requesting to remain at the grave side for just a little longer. The other heroes that came to support her, stayed with her while Present Mic and Midnight escorted her classmates back to the dorms.

While Halyn stood before the grave, just silently running finger tips over the urn in her arms, her brothers went from hero to hero, thanking them for the support they showed by attending the services. When they were done, Maximus declared that his leg was killing him and that he was ready to get back to his room and rest. Remus and the twins agreed that they could use some rest.

"Halyn, we're going."

Even when Remus called, Halyn didn't respond. She just stood there staring at the gravestone. Remus heaved a sigh, sharing a look with his brothers.

"We'll stay with her." Aizawa assured Remus.

Remus gave him a grateful nod. Watching his sister for a moment, another sigh left him. Turning to those teachers who had attended the funeral, he fixed his eyes on Aizawa and All Might.

"We leave our sister in your care. Please take care of her." Remus told them.

"We will strive to raise her the best we can." Aizawa told him.

"I'll hold you to that. Just...be cautious. Halyn had to grow up quick. it's been a long time since I can remember her relying on anyone or actually being the child, or teenager, she still is. She won't know how to lean on the support you offer." Remus warned.

"I've noticed." Aizawa assured him.

Remus smiled then, turning his eyes to his sister's back as she continued to stare at the headstone. As he watched her, her tail flicked once before drawing still once more. She would probably be glued to the spot for a little while longer.

"I have to admit...we've failed in raising her. Because of our failure, she's been beaten and bruised. She's been exposed to the darkness of this world, even more than normal even for a hero, and has felt pain and loneliness." Remus said

"That's not true." All Might told him. "She stands tall, not shedding a tear because she knows you support her and she's so proud of you and your brothers."

Remus smiled, his gaze fond as he watched his sister.

"I know, but as my mother always said...tears aren't a sign of weakness, but rather, a sign of someone who has had to be strong for too long. I've been waiting for eight years to see when those first tears appear." Remus replied.

"Perhaps she has already shed them."

Remus turned his golden gaze to All Might as the blonde man watched Halyn. All Might remembered seeing how Halyn had gravitated towards Todoroki after coming back, the two becoming all the more closer. Todoroki was her confidant. All Might had not doubt that if Halyn was to cry, it would be in the supportive presence of her closest friend.

"Maybe." Remus agreed, his eyes returning to Halyn. "She's so strong. Always has been. Even when she was scared, she trudged on, never once losing the path she wanted to follow. My brothers and I are constantly amazed by her. After losing our mother and, by some extent, our father, Halyn gave us life and meaning. **She** was the one that comforted **us**. We watched as she pulled herself, and then us, together." Remus shook his head. "She should have spurn the world after all she had been through, but no. She had decided to protect it, fight for it. That she can go on like this...she gives us hope every single day. So...make her into the fine hero I know she can be."

With that, Remus and his brothers bid their sister farewell, Remus planting a kiss on the crown of her head. Halyn's only physical reaction was a flick of her tail. She continued staring in silence for a while after her brothers left. It wasn't until a few of the heroes that had showed up, started to leave, that she finally spoke.

"Sensei."

Aizawa raised his head, pretty sure that she was talking to him, though not completely sure.

"We're here." Aizawa assured her.

Halyn's tail swayed once in acknowledgement, but she didn't turn her eyes from where her family name was carved in the headstone.

"You don't have to worry about me."

"Leander?" Aizawa asked when that was all she said.

They watched as Halyn raised one hand, spreading her fingers as she stared at them, the urn tucked safely in the crook of the other arm.

"This quirk of mine...because of it, my hands can hold a lot of power. If All for One is anything to go by, they could hold even more than I could imagine." Halyn started. "I've seen what that kind of power can do in the wrong hands. Our quirks are so similar that its frightening. Despite that...this quirk is mine and mine alone. Only I decide how to use it."

All eyes were riveted on Halyn as she spoke, her voice low but firm. She had obviously come to a resolve about the whole thing.

"What are you saying, Leander?" Aizawa asked.

"I've come to a stark realization and from it, I've come to a firm resolve. No death or fear will shake it. Yes, first Flame Lash and now All for One have darken my door step, but because of them and what they've done...I am all the more sure of who I am."

Halyn's hand curled into a fist as she said this. Her tone was firm, showing her resolve. Her head rose, her eyes returning to the headstone. Stepping forward, she laid a hand on the stone, her fingers tracing her family name carved there.

"I don't know what happened and probably never will. For all I know, he let himself be caught. Regardless of what may or may not have happened, my father was a great hero. Both he and my mother taught me so much in the brief years I had them. They taught me how to take the bad and use it to embrace and appreciate the good. They taught me to rise above adversity, to stand on my faith in the goodness of the world."

They could hear the pride in her parents in her voice. Halyn was, even to this day, proud of her parents. Even despite spending the last eight years thinking her father had abandoned her, Halyn was still proud of the hero her father had been.

"Because of the lesson they taught me, wherever I go, wherever life leads me, I know I'll never walk along. I'll have my brother, my friends, with me. So I will take these lessons and will not be afraid of what comes my way, because my parents taught me to be a hero. They taught me to be brave."

Halyn finally turned to face them. Her eyes were dry, not even blood shot or shiny from un-shed tears, and there was a smile on her face. All Might and Aizawa both felt pride in her as one of their students. Despite being knocked down, she was climbing her way back up, refusing to tap out.

"I won't say I'm alright. I can't. Not yet, at least. But...I will be. Like a forest after a fire, I will rise again, better than before. Like I've said...I refuse to be like him. This is **my** life and I choose to be the same kind of hero that my parents were and the my brothers are now." Halyn said, giving them a smile. "So...don't worry about me. That's the funny thing about hitting bottom...you have nowhere else to go, but up."

If there was one thing to be said about Halyn, it was the amazing way she bounced back. Watching as she smiled fondly down at the urn in her hands, her teachers had a good feeling that Halyn would, given time, be just fine.

Unknown to them, someone else watched Halyn from the shadows of a nearby tree line, watching as she turned back to the headstone, protectively cradling the urn of her father's ashes. Eyes fixated on her, never wavering, even when three more shadow-shrouded figures joined the first.

"Are you going to continue to just stare at her? Why not just go up to her already?" one asked, sounding like they were ready to head back.

"Not yet." the first figure responded, still watching Halyn. "I'll approach her soon enough, but for now, I'm content enough to just watch her."

Things were about take another turn that Halyn wouldn't see coming. For the time being, she was blissfully unaware, ready to continue with her training and get her life back to as close to normal as she could.

But that blissful ignorance wouldn't last forever.

END

Kyandi: Once again, sorry that the chapter was on the shorter side.

Halyn: But she's working on the next chapter.

Kyandi: I am. Until it's done, though, I have two chapters about to be uploaded to another story.

Halyn: So if you like any of her other works, keep a look out for that.

Kyandi: Right. For now, I need to get to editing those.

Halyn: So, wrap up time?

Kyandi: Yep. Everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	26. Day of the Exam

Kyandi: Hey all! We're back!

Halyn: She was really excited about this part so we've got three chapters for all of you today.

Kyandi: I got a little excited.

Halyn: She also has a drawing of my new costume, but she still hasn't set up the scanner since moving.

Kyandi: I might not know exactly where it is just yet. But I will!

Halyn As soon as she finds her scanner and gets it set up, she'll post the new drawing.

Kyandi: If I can't find it in the next week, then everyone is just going to have to deal with a less quality picture of it until I do find it. Sorry.

Halyn: With that should we get on with it?

Kyandi: Yep. Everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 26 Day of the Exam

The next few days found Halyn making changes to her costume. With the combined help of Hatsume and Heavy Loader, Halyn was able to make a lot of big changes to her costume. Changes that would accommodate her current quirks and any others she could possibly assimilate. Of course, that meant that her costume had to be sent out to be modified. In the end, while still keeping her basic concept for her costume, she needed up changing a lot about it.

Then again, she wasn't the only one to make changes.

Even Midoriya made changes by adding arm braces and iron soles to his shoes. Midoriya, himself, was surprised to see the changes his classmates made to their costumes.

"Everyone's upgraded their costumes, too!" Midoriya said, looking over Kirishima and Kaminari's costume upgrades.

"Ah!? So you noticed!?" Kaminari said, grinning.

"You ain't the only one with a new style! The rest have been making little improvements to their costumes, so we can't let our guards down!" Kirishima said. "Though I can think of one person who probably hasn't changed her costume much."

"I hope you're not talking about me."

Midoriya, Kirishima, and Kaminari turned when they heard Halyn's voice behind them...and all three stopped when they got a look at Halyn's new costume design.

"Whoa, Leander!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"I take back what I said." Kirishima instantly said, grin on his face.

Halyn's new costume stuck to the same black, blue, and silver color scheme, but covered more skin than the last one while still leaving a lot exposed. Halyn had traded the barely there, bikini-like top for a blue, halter top with a zip-up keyhole in the front and had exchanged the panty-like bottoms for skimpy black shorts with blue straps extending up from the waist band and over her hips, as if she was wearing high-rising underwear under the shorts. Her blue, fingerless gloves now extended up to mid-bicep while she had kept the silver, thigh-high stockings, now complete with a knife holster on her left thigh.

She had also changed the type of boots she wore to a pair of toe-less and heelless, black ankle boots that showed that the toes and heels had also been cut out of her stockings. The design had probably been made to accommodate the claws she grew when she used her father's quirk. To finish the new design, she had made her hoodie longer so that it now hung down to her hips, probably so it could hold more pockets and more "toys" for her to use, and she now had a ribbon much like the scarf Aizawa wore, tied around the length of her tail.

"Damn, Leander. You made a lot of changes." Kirishima remarked.

"Yeah, I did." Halyn remarked, fiddling with the placement of her belt.

"But I thought you wore so little so to accommodate your quirk." Midoriya remarked.

"I did, but Heavy Loader-sensei introduced me to a material that can expand and return to it normal size to accommodate any new additional limbs or anything I might grow. It's normally used by heroes whose quirks make parts of their bodies grow and shrink. Kind of like Itsuka's quirk." Halyn explained. "Once he showed me that, I knew I could afford to cover a little more without compromising the over all design."

"So what's the new features?" Kirishima asked.

"Well, I had to change a few things in order to make my costume suitable for the new quirks I have. You know, toe-less shoes and stockings because of the claws Reborn Tiger makes me grow, for one. Then, like I said, I had to change the material. The material I have now is a mix of a fire-proof material because of Touch of Fire, stretchy material for both new quirks and to accommodate the expanding of my limbs when using Reborn Tiger, the material I used before which is reinforced in order to absorb most of the damage, and material woven with my own hair and DNA so that it adapts to new quirks as my body does. Apparently, there's a third year here at UA whose costume had to be made in a similar fashion because he kept losing his pants due to his quirk. All of this was changed while keeping as much skin exposed as I could in order to use Null and Void. Of course I made the hoodie longer and added more pockets and goodies inside to use." Halyn explained.

"And the ribbon?" Kaminari asked.

"Oh, right. That's made from the same material as Aizawa-sensei's scarf and it's made for the same purpose as his scarf. It just seemed easier to carry it this way instead of wearing it like Aizawa-sensei does." Halyn replied.

"Nice! You really do put a lot of thought into your costume, don't you?" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah, kind of. With the new additions to my quirk line-up, I now have to rely even less on my actual quirk so I knew I needed to change a few things up to make it easier to move and use them without incident." Halyn replied.

"It's cool." Kaminari admitted. "That being said, my style change beats the pack! You're gonna be dumbfounded when you see! Wanna see!? You do, right?! It's too damn awesome for-"

"Time's up, Class A!" Vlad King's roaring voice was what cut Kaminari off, making all the students from Class A turn to where he was leading Class B into the gym. "Today we arranged for Class B to use TDL this afternoon! So make haste outta here, Eraser."

"We've still got a few minutes left. Not very good at making the most of the time allotted." Aizawa replied.

It was then that Monoma popped into the conversation, managing to look almost like a butler in his hero costume.

"Hey, do you hear!? They say half the people who take the test for provisionals fail! So why don't you all fail for us, Class A!?" Monoma exclaimed.

"That's Monoma's costume? For real?" Kaminari asked, turning to Kendo.

"He told me that because he has a copying ability there was no need to draw attention with some strange getup." Kendo replied.

"So that's not suppose to be strange?" Kaminari asked.

"My own quirk isn't too different from his and I still put a lot of thought into my costume." Halyn remarked.

"Yeah, I'm liking the style change." Kendo told her.

"Thanks. I had a lot to think about while changing things. Monoma, though, just looks like a butler." Halyn said.

"Yeah..."

Kendo heaved a sigh. It seemed that Monoma gave more than just Class A a problem.

"However," Tokoyami said, joining the conversation. "He's not wrong. So long as we're taking the same test, then we are anathema to each other...destined to crush on another's hopes."

"That's why we applied to have the two classes take the exam at separate arenas." Aizawa remarked.

"The hero qualification exam occurs with the same challenges at three locations twice every year. In June and September. To prevent students from the same school from crushing their own, the standard practice has been to make students from every school take the test at different times and places." Vlad King explained.

The look of relief on Monoma's face was obvious to Halyn before he wound himself back up and went on a tirade, again, about not being able to crush them directly. Halyn just shook her head.

"Monoma, be honest...would you really want to go head-to-head with someone like Shoto or Deku?" Halyn asked, making Monoma freeze on the spot. "Or even me?"

At the last one, all of the students and teachers present watched as Monoma, his grin still on his face, broke out into a cold sweat. Moving stiffly, he turned his eyes to Halyn and she could almost see the panic there. That alone was answer enough to her question. While he could copy her quirk, he wouldn't know which of the quirks she held that he would be copying and she would always have more quirks to use against him. It would be like fighting an uphill battle on a muddy hill.

Eventually, his feet would slide out from under him.

"Why Monoma...I didn't know I frightened you so." Halyn teased, making him instantly deny it.

It was then that Sero spoke up from where he had been busy wrapping a clone of Ectoplasm up in his tape.

"'Every school'...Wow, I'd overlooked it before, but each school's gonna be eating into each other's pass rates." Sero remarked.

"And we're skipping over the normal course for obtaining licenses, too." Midoriya added.

"I can just imagine how much the other schools will be gunning for our heads." Halyn remarked.

"Yes, only a minority of schools have their freshmen get provisionals. To put it another way, it'll be a gathering of kids who have had more time to train and whose quirks you know nothing about. We can't know what will be on the exam but there's no doubt it'll be rough. Don't fixate on that too much, of course, but don't forget, either." Aizawa warned them.

When put that way, Halyn had to stop and think. They wouldn't know the quirks of those they were going up against, but, at UA, it was different. UA broadcasted their Sports Festival every year for all grades. That meant that, while they didn't know the quirks of those they were going up against, the other schools' students would have seen the festival and would know their's. It was going to be a big disadvantage, but Halyn was sure it was one they could overcome.

The way she saw it...bring on the challenge.

-0-0-0-0-

Later that night, the girls of Class A gathered in the common area, coming together to relax on the couches. Mina and Jiro slumped back into the cushions while Uraraka and Asui drank juice. Halyn was perched in the floor between where Toru sat at one end of a couch and Yaoyorozu sat on a stool, helping Yaoyorozu to fold some laundry she had just finished doing.

"Whew-ee, everyday with this!" Mina complained.

"They weren't kidding when they said they'd compress all the training." Toru remarked.

"And I'm stuck trying to play catch-up with all of you with not even a week remaining." Halyn sighed.

She was managing, of course, but it was difficult trying to recover and catch up to her classmates, all at the same time. Toru gave her a pat on the shoulder in a show of support.

"How's your super move coming, Yao-momo?" Toru asked.

"Hmm...while there are things I'd like to try, my body still can't keep up with those ideas, so I need to extend my quirk, even if only a little." Yaoyorozu replied.

"How about you, Tsuyu?" Toru asked.

"I'm putting the finishing touches on a move that'll be more frog-like. You'll be surprised, too, Toru." Asui replied.

"I know you're still catching up, but what about you, Ha-chan?" Toru asked.

"Well, while I complain about being behind all of you...I already have two moves that I'm finalizing now." Halyn replied.

"Really? So soon?" Yaoyorozu asked. "You aren't pushing yourself too far, are you?"

"No, I'm fine, really. After talking with Aizawa-sensei, I realized that I can take my quirk a step further and work on trying to combine some of the quirks I've assimilated. By combining Touch of Fire and Reborn Tiger, I got my first super move, Igneous Tiger. I then took that one a step further and added in Tide to make my second super move, Starburst Tigerlily. The difference between the two is that, for the latter, I use Tide in order to fuel a larger scale attack instead of burning my own energy and strength." Halyn explained.

"That's amazing. You managed it in less time than us." Mina whined.

"You have to remember, given the nature of my quirk, I'm constantly having to adapt and adjust to how to use new quirks. It means that my mind is use to this kind of thinking and now that my body is recovering from the shock of assimilating all of those quirks, it's easier to put theory into practice." Halyn told her. "As sad it is to admit, it seems the only way to push my quirk past it's limits is to, first, break my body. I don't think I'll be doing a lot of that. I'm not sure my body could take it."

"Right. It's best not to do anything to harm your health until you have a better grasp of your quirk." Yaoyorozu agreed.

Halyn agreed, wholeheartedly. She really did not feel like putting her body through all of that again. It had hurt way too much and had taken too long to recover from.

"And you, Ochaco?" Toru asked, turning to Uraraka.

Uraraka, however, was spacing out, her mind obviously somewhere else. It took Asui poking her to finally get her attention.

"You must be exhausted to space out that bad." Halyn remarked.

"No, no, no! I can't afford to be tired. I've still got more in me...is what I want to say but, I don't know. Lately I've been feeling disconcerted." Uraraka said.

"It's a boy." Mina flat out stated, making Uraraka break out in a sweat.

Uraraka instantly flew into a spew of denial, waving her hands about before covering her face and floating off up towards the ceiling.

"Is it Midoriya or Iida!? You're with them a lot!" Mina said.

"NOOOO, **NOOOO!** " Uraraka insisted, her face blood red.

"Who is it!? Which one!? C'mon, you've gotta tell us!" Mina called to her.

"You know, if you confess now then your crime gets lighter." Jiro told her.

"I'm telling you, that's not it! I swear I don't know anything about that." Uraraka insisted.

"It's not good to pry, and it won't accomplish anything." Asui said.

"She's got a point." Halyn agreed.

"Then what about you, Ha-chan!?" Mina asked, turning all attention to her.

"Me?" Halyn asked, blinking as she pointed to herself.

"Yeah! What about you? I've seen the way you look at Todoroki!" Mina accused, pointing a finger.

"Well, yeah. I like Shoto. So what?"

All of the girls paused when Halyn flat out admitted she liked Todoroki, not trying, even for a second, to deny it.

"Wait, seriously?" Jiro asked.

"Like, as in like- **like** him?" Mina asked.

"Yeah. I thought it was obvious. I mean, I do spend almost all of my free time with him and Shoto always has my back." Halyn admitted, giving a shrug of her shoulders.

"Then why aren't you two together?" Toru asked.

"I don't think Shoto has noticed and if he feels the same way about me, he doesn't say anything." Halyn said, heaving a sigh. "And I also don't think he wants to be together with me. You know he has issues with his dad and his dad wants us to be together simply because of the possibility of a child between us coming out with a mix between our quirks. It's awkward and weird."

"Uh, yeah." Mina agreed. "But that shouldn't be a reason for him to ignore your feelings!"

"Shoto doesn't want to do anything his dad wants him to do. And besides," Halyn gave them a sad smile. "I don't think he even notices my feelings and I don't want to lose my friendship with him, so things are fine as they are. For now, at least."

"Ha-chan..."

Halyn gave her friends a smile, promising she would be fine before raising to her feet. Stretching her body out, she presented them with a bright smile.

"Anyway, we have to get up early tomorrow morning. We should get to bed." Halyn said, Yaoyorozu agreeing even while Mina protested.

While it hurt to think that Todoroki might not feel the same way about her that she felt about him, Halyn was fine with the way their relationship was. She wouldn't push him to do anything he didn't want to do and right now, he didn't want to be in a relationship with her because his dad wanted them to be. She would respect his feelings.

Even if it hurt to do so.

-0-0-0-0-

The next day found Halyn taking a break, giving her body a chance to cool down without cramping on her by heading outside the gym for a little light jogging and stretching. It was in the middle of her stretching that someone called out to her.

"Leander."

Pausing in mid stretch to reach for her toes, Halyn peered between her legs at the person approaching her, one eyebrow inching up in surprise and questioning as her tail gave an idle flick. Straightening up, she turned to face the person.

"Shoji? What is it?"

Walking towards her, probably taking a short break himself, was Shoji. He came to a stop as she bent down towards her bag and pulled out two water bottles. Standing up, she tossed one to him.

"Here. You look like you could use a drink." she told him.

"Thanks."

Shoji easily caught it as she opened hers and took a swing. Recapping the bottle, she turned towards him.

"So, what's up? You don't normally seek me out." she remarked.

"Yeah, about that..."

Halyn raised an eyebrow when he trailed off. Judging by the look in his eyes and the way he looked away from her, she knew it had to be something important to him. In general, if Shoji sought someone out, it was important.

"What's up, Shoji? It's got to be important if you're taking time out of your training to talk to me." Halyn said, tilting her head to one side.

Shoji looked up at her, Halyn quirking one eyebrow up at him as if encouraging him to continue. When he still hesitated, she offered him a smile, finally managing to get him speaking.

"You remember at the summer camp when the villains attacked, how you jumped in front of those flames to protect Midoriya, Todoroki, and me?" he asked. Halyn nodded because there was no way she could forget. "I just wanted...to say I'm sorry."

Halyn jolted to attention, blinking in surprise as he bowed his head to her. She hadn't been expecting this. When she had jumped in front of those flames, she hadn't done it for thanks and she certainly hadn't done it to make him feel like he had to apologize to her.

"Shoji...what are you talking about?" she asked.

"Don't be mad but Todoroki warned us about your assimilation limit." Now she knew where this was going. "We were trying to get you out of there before you could hit rock bottom and because we weren't fast enough, you took all that damage to save us and ended up in villain hands. You, yourself, have said that if someone feels like they might be in the wrong, that they should apologize. I hope you can forgive me."

"We all do."

Halyn looked up over Shoji's shoulder to find Midoriya and Todoroki standing behind him. She stared at them in shock. Did all three of them feel like they had to apologize to her for a choice she, herself, had made?

"Just like we should apologize for not being able to help you as we did with Bakugo."

Halyn turned, this time finding Iida, Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu. Her eyes shifted between her six friends, her expression showing just how surprised she was. It was obvious that she had not been expecting any kind of apology. Then, with a sigh, she smiled at them.

"You guys...you're too much." Reaching out, Halyn laid a hand on Shoji's shoulder, making him raise his head to look at her. Her head tilting to one side, she gave him a bright, kind smile. "Being a hero is about helping others, even when they don't ask. You would have done the same for me. All three of you. Of that, I have no doubt."

She turned to Todoroki and Midoriya, giving them a smile too. Turning again, she looked at Iida, Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu. Her smile grew as she looked over her friends.

"As for you guys...don't feel bad about not being able to help me. From what All Might told me, All for One had hid me using one of the quirks he had stolen. You wouldn't have been able to do anything for me without getting yourselves hurt, or worse. So I'm grateful that you weren't able to find me. It would have killed me if any of you had gotten hurt on my behalf." she told them. "In fact, if anyone needs to apologize, it's me for making all of you worry. For that, I apologize and, even though he would never say it, I'm sure Ka-chan is sorry, too."

The smile she gave them, so understanding and so grudge free, was enough to slay their hearts. They had all known that Halyn was understanding, but she honestly hadn't held them the least bit accountable, hadn't thought for even a second that any of them were to blame for anything.

Just as she hadn't blamed her father for not being there to protect her from Flame Lash.

"Ha-chan..." Midoriya started, but trailed off when she smiled at him.

"Things happen, guys. Both good and bad. The world is filled with it. I believe a person shows their true colors in how they handle it." she said, sheepishly reaching up to scratch a cheek as she grinned. "I just happen to have a little more experience with handling it. There's no point in being needlessly angry or anything like that. It's not going to help anyone. As long as we **all** still have our futures, then consider the whole situation...soul searching."

"Soul searching?" Yaoyorozu asked, confused by what Halyn could mean.

"Yeah. I'm not afraid to admit that it was tough on my end, both this time with All for One and the previous time with Flame Lash, but through the struggle, I was able to find out a little more about myself and who I really am as a person. Adversity gives you a chance to grow and there's still a long road ahead of us, so that's means there's going to be many chances for all of us to grow. Like with this latest villain attack. Through the long road and the struggles, all of us will be able to recognize who we are and all that we can be."

Her classmates stared at her as she explained this, smiling at them as if she hadn't gone through something that normally would have broken a person. But...she had a point in what she was saying.

"If there's anything I've learned through all the villain attacks we've been through, it's that, together, we're strong and we make each other stronger because we're willing to jump in front of fire for each other." Halyn gave Shoji a wink here. "We all have something we can bring to the table and we work hard to pull our fair share and to insure that, next time, the same person isn't the one jumping into the line of fire. We're exactly who we need to be. So yeah, I consider the whole incident a chance to figure out who I am. It's just...sometimes finding yourself is hard and painful, but it's worth it in the end. So don't apologize to me. In a case like this...you never have to apologize to me."

Watching her smile so sweetly at them in that way of hers that made it seem like she could never begrudge anyone, Todoroki felt his heart give a heavy thud in his chest. Halyn really was a kind person and one who knew how to see the bright side in even the darkest situations. She refused to let another's actions decide how she would live her life.

Halyn leaned over, grabbing her bag to drape the strap from her shoulder, tucking her water bottle back into the bag. Half turning away, she gave them a grin.

"You guys have got nothing to be sorry about. After all... **I** was the one that got kidnapped in the end. Looks like I still have a lot of training to do in order to catch up." Halyn said, a sheepish look on her face. "But...thanks guys."

"What are you thanking us for?" Iida asked.

"Just knowing that you guys cared enough about me to apologize, makes me happy. I didn't have many friends before moving here, so it's really reassuring to know I have such great friends to watch my back now." Halyn replied.

It wasn't the result any of them had been expecting when they had approached her to apologize, but, somehow, they all felt better than they had before. Todoroki knew that was just how Halyn was. She had a way of seeing what troubled people and figuring out just what to say. Especially when it came to her classmates. It was like she truly was the beating heart of the class.

Perhaps that was just what she had to bring to the table.

-0-0-0-0-

Their remaining days of training until the exam for their provisionals, seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye. Halyn and her classmates worked hard in those days to prepare themselves for whatever could be thrown their way during the exam. The current morning found all of them all standing before the National Stadium in Takoba where their exam would take place.

"Ugh, I'm getting so nervous..." Jiro groaned.

"Man, what'll they have us do for the test, phew, I hope I can earn a provisional." Mineta said, fidgeting from nerves.

"Mineta. There is no "I hope". Return back here with your provisional." Aizawa told him sternly.

Halyn, herself, was a little nervous, but she was pretty confident in all the training her teachers had put her and her classmates through. She had even doubled up on training with some of her teachers in the last few days. All in hopes of finalizing her super moves and prepare her for the exam.

"Remember, if you can just pass this exam and obtain your provisional license, then you will cease to be mere eggs and hatch into chicks...into _semi-pros_. So give it your all." Aizawa told them.

With the class now fired up, Kirishima went to lead them in the school's motto of "Plus Ultra" only for an outsider to butt in, saying it louder than the whole class. The guy was a student from another school, his classmate scolding him about crashing other schools' circles without invitation. The guy went overboard, in Halyn's opinion, with his apology, bowing so deeply, he smash his forehead into the ground.

"What's up with this guy!? He's totally the type who just gets through everything by being intensely chipper!" Kaminari declared.

"He's like Iida and Kirishima squared." Sero added.

"Wait a minute. That uniform is from that famous school in the west." Halyn remarked.

"The east's got UA and the west's got Shiketsu." Bakugo confirmed.

"Out of all of the schools out there with heroics departments, their's is the one considered to be UA's rival school." Halyn said lowly.

When she had researched schools with the top heroics departments, UA and Shiketsu had been at the very top of the list. Naturally, considering she had looked up to All Might, who reminded her of her mother, Halyn had chosen his school to attend. Now, looking at this guy with his head planted on the ground, she was somewhat grateful that she had.

"I've always wanted to say it at least once! "Plus ultra!". I love UA Academy! It's such a pleasure, the highest honor, to be able to compete against UA!" the guy exclaimed.

"Yoarashi Inasa." Aizawa said lowly as the boy followed his classmates after leaving them with those statements.

"Do you know him, sensei?" Toru asked.

"Talk about enthusiastic, huh. And everything he said sounded good-natured and normal." Kirishima remarked.

"That kid...he's no pushover. His name's Yoarashi. At the end of the last school year...or, in other words, when you were all applying for the entrance exam, he was selected as one of the recommended students. But, for some reason, despite his top of the line grades, he declined to enter UA." Aizawa told them.

Halyn's head whipped around to look at Aizawa.

"Top of the line grades? But that means..." Halyn turned to look at Todoroki who stood beside her. "He's stronger than Shoto."

Which meant that, depending on the kind of quirk he had, Yoarashi was possibly stronger than her. That would make this exam difficult depending on the task they assigned them.

"I don't get it. He says he loves UA, but he tosses his chance at entering?" Sero said.

"So weird." Mina agreed.

"Oh he may be weird, but make note: he's the real deal." Aizawa warned them.

Someone calling out to Aizawa, reached their ears then. When they turned, they found a pretty, young woman walking their way. And she seemed to know Aizawa pretty well.

"I saw ya on TV and at the Sports Festival and whatnot, but it's been forever since we bumped inta each other like this!" she called cheerfully, happy to see Aizawa.

The look on Aizawa's face said, very clearly, that he wasn't as happy to see her.

"C'mon, let's get hitched!" she told Aizawa.

"No." Aizawa replied in a flat manner.

"That lady...she's the heroine of smiles, Miss Joke! Her quirk's called Peals of Laughter! She can use her quirk to dull the thoughts and deeds of anyone near her by forcing them to laugh their heads off! The way she dispatches with villains is really crazy, too!" Midoriya said.

"I like a good laugh just as much as the next person, but I don't think I would ever want to go against her. There is such a thing as laughing one's self to death." Halyn said.

"If you put a ring on my finger, we could build a blissful home with no end to the laughing!" Miss Joke told Aizawa.

"That'd be a far cry from "blissful"." Aizawa retorted.

"You're being really friendly." Asui remarked.

"Our offices use ta be close! We kept helpin' each other out and before we knew it, we were in love!" Miss Joke said, Aizawa quickly replying with, "Lies." from behind her.

"Honestly, Aizawa-sensei...you could do worse." Halyn told her teacher, grinning at him when he turned a glare on her.

"Haha! I like this girl!" Miss Joke said, clapping Halyn on the shoulder with enough force that, if it wasn't for Todoroki catching her arm, Halyn would have been knocked off her feet.

Aizawa heaved a sigh, changing the subject.

"What's this, you brought your school, too." Aizawa remarked.

"It's always a blast teasin' ya, Eraser!" Miss Joke said, turning to look at her class. "C'mon kids, c'mhere! It's UA!"

The group was a class of second years from Ketsubutsu Academy. The obvious leader of the group was a boy by the name Shindou who seemed to be overly happy, greeting Halyn's classmates with a big smile and handshake. Halyn had only to take one look at the look in his eyes to know she didn't trust him even as far as she could throw him. Apparently, Bakugo thought the same thing. Shindou held his hand out to Bakugo, but Bakugo slapped it away.

"Don't patronize me. Your words don't match your eyes." Bakugo said.

"Dude, rude! I'm so sorry about his-"

"It's okay! It's just all the more proof of his strong heart!" Shindou said, cutting off Kaminari before his eyes landed on Halyn. "Oh! You're Leander! It was so awesome to watch your matches! It was like watching a feline!"

When Shindou reached for her hands, Halyn took a step back, stepping closer to Todoroki's side. This had all of her classmates turning to look at her.

"Ha-chan?" Toru asked, stepping up to her side.

"Sorry, but I don't trust him. Not one bit. He makes my fur stand on end." Halyn said lowly.

Shindou just smiled at her, but nothing could hide that calculating and sly look in his eyes. She knew, once the exam started, she was going to have to keep an eye on him.

When one of the girls from Shindou's class approached Todoroki, fan-girling over him, Halyn took hold of Todoroki's hand, making him look at her instead of paying attention to the other girl.

"We should get going, Shoto. We still need to change." she told him.

"Yeah, right." Todoroki agreed.

Without another glance at the other girl, Todoroki let Halyn pull him away, Halyn casting a look towards the girl before turning away. It was then that Aizawa called for them to hurry and go change. They headed on inside, the girls splitting away from the boys to go change. Once in their costumes, all students from all schools gathered in the room where they would be told what they were going to be doing. The man that stepped up to the microphone was one that looked like he hadn't slept in a while.

"Ehem...Right, so, yes, let's begin. The provisional license thing. Uhmm...Hello, my name is Mera, with the Public Safety in Heroics Committee, and my favorite kind of sleep is non-rem sleep, it's a pleasure. I've been so busy with work that I can't catch a wink...! Not enough personnel...! I wanna sleep! And now that I have espoused our principles, I shall humbly explain how the exam will be conducted." the man said, half draped across the podium.

Halyn couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor man. He seemed utterly exhausted and worked to the bone. It was obvious the man could use some sleep when this was all said and done.

"Gathered in attendance are precisely one thousand, five hundred, forty examinees. You'll be vying for victory all at once. In the present age, in our so-named "Hero-saturated" society, there has been no shortage of voices raising doubt over the state of heroics since Stain's apprehension." Mera told them all. "But, well...if you ask me, regardless of their actual motives, telling people who're risking their lives out there to save people not to want anything in return...it's hard not to think that'd be a bit merciless, given the realities of the modern world. In any case...no matter whether it was for material gain or for the valor of it, at the end of the day they applied themselves diligently to rescue operations and villain cleanup."

In a way, Halyn could see Mera's point in the whole thing. Considering some heroes put their lives on the line on a daily basis, being paid to do so seemed like such a little price to pay. No pun intended.

"The time that elapses between a case materializing and its resolution, has become very swift indeed. When you obtain your provisional licenses, you throw yourselves into that raging torrent. To be blunt, it will be very harsh on those who can't keep pace. As such, it's your speed that will be tested! Only the first one hundred to clear the terms of the exam will make the cut." Mera declared.

Of course, there was an outcry from the students gathered because most of them had been promised a 50/50 pass rate and that certainly wasn't a 50/50 pass rate.

"Well, a fair bit's happened in the world...so, those are the breaks. Do as you do. So, the terms of the exam, are in these." Mera held up a little red ball and some kind of electronic target for the whole room to see. "Each examinee will receive three targets. You may place them on any part of your body, so long as they're always open and visible. So no soles of the feet or armpits. In addition, you'll carry six balls on your person. The targets are built to respond only to contact with the balls. If you're hit in all three places, you're out. If you hit somebody's third target, you have defeated him or her. Victory is attained upon defeating two other contestants. And those are the rules."

It was simple enough to understand but the execution of the rules would be completely different. The number of balls given perfectly aligned with the pass rate they had set. A person could either pursue a target until they had gotten all three targets on their person, or they could merely sit back until someone else had gotten the first two targets and merely steal the third. There were several ways they could go about this.

"Alright...we'll distribute the targets and balls after _that_ happens. The exam will commence one minute after everyone spreads out." Mera told them.

"After what happens?" Todoroki asked from beside Halyn.

A sound like a machine starting up, filled the room before the walls around them begun to unfold. The whole thing flopped open to revel that they had been standing in a tiny section of a larger setup. Several different types of terrains spread out around them, giving them many types to choose from.

"I believe you all have types of terrain you like and dislike. Please do your best and capitalize on your skills." Mera told them.

The targets and balls were handed out then. Halyn took her three targets, stopping for a moment to think. Ultimately, she put two on either side of her belly button and put the last one right between her collar bones. She wouldn't be likely to let someone close enough to get all three. Especially since, for the last one, it would look like the person was going for her throat.

"If only the fastest to defeat others pass the exam then there won't be any infighting amongst schools...on the contrary, teaming up with comrades who know each other's powers is the only way to win...! Guys!" Midoriya called, turning to his classmates. "Don't stray too far away from each other! Let's move as a group!"

"You fuckers can pour each other tea if you like, but this ain't a goddamn picnic." Bakugo yelled before running off, Kirishima and Kaminari following after him.

"I'm cutting too. The larger the group I'm in, the less leeway I have to use my power." Todoroki said, turning to take off, too. "Halyn, come on."

Halyn turned to look at him, her head whipping back and forth between Todoroki and the rest of her classmates. Finally, giving Midoriya an apologetic smile, she started backing off towards Todoroki.

"Sorry, Deku, but I'm going with Shoto." Halyn told him.

Halyn turned on the spot and ran past students from other schools as she fought to caught up with Todoroki. With a minute on the clock, everyone would be working to find the best vantage point for them. Little did Halyn and her teammates know, once that minute was up, it would signal the start of an annual event for the exam.

UA hunting.

END

Kyandi: I'm not ashamed to admit it, but...

Halyn: You would have stuck to a large group, right?

Kyandi: Oh, you betcha! Especially if I was from UA. If I was alone and saw a big group coming after me, I'd run for the hills.

Halyn: So you answer to the flight part of the Fight or Flight Response?

Kyandi: Not always. I answer to the Let's-think-logically-about-how-to-save-my-ass part of the brain. Unless I have someone with me. Then I have this really annoying voice in my head called Loyalty, that won't let me back away.

Halyn: Is it really all that annoying to be loyal?

Kyandi: ...Damn it, no. The annoying part is the injuries I've gotten because of that little trait.

Halyn: Then don't get injured.

Kyandi: Ha! I'm accident prone. That's easier said than done. Anyway, off topic.

Halyn: Right. We have two more chapters to go.

Kyandi: Yep, so everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be right back.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	27. Exam Start!

Kyandi: Told you we would be right back.

Halyn: She had to take a moment to stop wiggling around in joy.

Kyandi: I can't help it! When I get a good review like I did this morning, it makes me impossibly happy.

Halyn: With that said, we want to take a moment to thank jeonisthetic for actually getting our whole "maximum effort" joke. If anyone else got it, they didn't say anything.

Kyandi: And thank you to WritersxBlock101. I spent a good twenty minutes rolling around my bed this morning because of how happy your review made me.

Halyn: Another thanks to Dragon Lord Draco whose review made Kyandi-sama nearly spew her orange soda through her nose.

Kyandi: I love to see readers so protective of my OCs and that review of someone yelling at others to "leave Halyn alone" was priceless!

Halyn: There are several others, but if we were to go through them all, we'd be sitting here for a while.

Kyandi: So, in general, thank you to all you awesome people who continue to support me. You make me love writing all the more. And with that said, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 27 Exam Start!

 _How on earth does that boy manage to do this to me!?_

In just a minute's time, somehow, someway, Halyn managed to get separated from Todoroki in the rush of students trying to get away from the center of the field. Halyn now found herself somewhere in a residential area and completely alone.

"This is bad. Shoto, where did you go?" Halyn muttered to herself.

Over head, a horn sounded, filling the air with a sound that meant the exam had started. Halyn had only the warning of her hair standing on end and hit the deck in time to avoid the attack that came at her from behind. Remaining crouched, she whipped around, her eyes widening when she was confronted with a group of, at least, fifteen other contestants, all apparently aiming for her.

 _I knew it!_

Halyn, when she had realized that her class was going in blind while all of the other schools knew their quirks, had figured that something like this would happen. After all, if she had the advantage they did, she would have done the same thing. She had just hoped that she wouldn't be alone when the others eventually turned on her. This was putting her in a bad spot.

That being said...it also put her in a good position to try something out.

Rising to her feet, she braced her feet as she faced those standing in her way.

"You're that Leander girl, aren't you?" one boy in the front asked. "Yeah, I remember you from the UA Sports Festival. You had that absorption quirk."

"My quirk is called Assimilation, not Absorption. If you're going to put in the time to do research then, at least, get the name right." Halyn retorted.

While a few of his comrades laughed at him, the boy didn't seem the least bit amused.

"It doesn't matter what it's called. It's a sick, twisted, little quirk. A quirk fitting of a villain. Stealing from others to make yourself stronger. You're no better than that villain that forced All Might into retirement!" the boy snapped at her.

Halyn had been preparing herself for the day she would meet someone who would say that to her. She knew it would happen, eventually. Had even thought it herself, a few times. Especially after the broadcast of All Might's fight against All for One. Despite know it was coming, despite preparing herself for the day she would hear the words, it still hurt. She even somewhat agreed to a certain extent.

That being said...she didn't need to hear this from someone who had no idea.

Yes, she had to confront the idea that not only was she related to All for One, but also that she had his quirk, but that didn't mean she had to be like him. This quirk was hers, her own power, and she had already decided to use it to be a hero who truly cared for the safety of the people.

Not some low villain.

So, was she going to sit back and take this verbal abuse?

Hell no.

"And your point is?"

Shocked looks looked back at Halyn as she begun stretching her shoulders and popping her knuckles. They wanted a fight, then she was going to give it to them. But first things first...

"It doesn't matter what you, or anyone else for that matter, thinks of my quirk. I know what I am and am not and I haven't come this far to tuck my tail and run because someone is too closed minded to see a person past their quirk." Halyn said. "So if you're here to fight, then get on with it. If not, I have better things to do with my time then waste my breath trying to change your mind."

"You really think you can take us? There's fifteen of us and only one of you." the boy in lead said.

Halyn, in response, merely held out one hand, beckoning them to come and get her with two fingers while raising an eyebrow in challenge. They were about to find out that she had a whole lot of tricks up her sleeves. Especially when one of those facing her, attacked with a laser-like attack, allowing Halyn to absorb it using her Tide quirk.

Things were about to explode in more ways than one.

Across the stadium, sitting up in the stands, Aizawa was being annoyed by Miss Joke's jokes.

"But to think, all twenty-one kids are still hanging in there. It's rare for you not to've expelled anybody yet! Have ya warmed up to this year's class?" Miss Joke asked.

"Not particularly." Aizawa replied.

"Bwahaha! Don't go blushing on me, it's lame! Let's go out!"

"Be quiet."

"But c'mon, you gotta admit it's strange. Even though this exam is all about unpredictability from year to year. There is something that's close to a constant. Amongst all of the high schools competing across the whole country, the sole school that's lost the advantage of their quirks being unknown, is the top school, the school whose sports festival broadcasted not only it's students' quirks but even their weak points and general styles! If ya like this year's class so much, then ya shoulda told them! The first thing they do every time is go UA hunting." Miss Joke said.

"Ah yes, the UA hunting...it's not as though I had any reason not to tell them, but, either way, it wouldn't change how they act. All they need to do is keep pressing forward overcoming the obstacles in their way. A hero is a man or woman who can turn any crisis on its head. Besides, revealing one's quirk is a prerequisite to being a pro anyway. I'm afraid our school is just looking slightly more ahead than the others." Aizawa replied.

"Making it a contest of speed like that makes it seem like the kids who attack first will win, but that's actually not how it'll play out...am I wrong?" Miss Joke asked.

In that, Aizawa had to agree.

"It seems like the key to winning will be unity and cooperation, as well as whatever information they manage to glean." Aizawa agreed.

From their seats, the two teachers watched as the main group of UA students were confronted by a larger group out to eliminate them first. It was in that first moment that the UA students let shine their new super moves and how they had grown and changed since the sports festival.

"You're being awfully condescending, Eraser. There are as many kids who wanna be heroes as stars in the sky. And prestige and fame don't factor into it only how much the kids want it. If you lot keep thinking you're the main players and look down on everybody else, then the ones who'll rush to their defeats might just be you." Miss Joke said. "Want some gum?

Aizawa didn't even glance at the pack of gum she offered his way. He already had a good feeling that it was just trying to set him up for another one of her jokes.

"Don't tell me, it's the joke gum that snaps on your fingers. It's so frustrating not being able to see who passed and who failed." Aizawa remarked.

"Yeah, Shindou's little quake's made the field way too hard to see. Wait, don't tell me...could it be!? Are you worried about them!?" Joke asked.

"I've been watching Class A for some time now, and in that time there's something I've come to understand. The class itself hasn't noticed but in fact, Class A has two students who rouse the rest to action. It's not that they unite the class, and it's not even that they're at the center of it. Moreover, they're on terrible terms. But their zeal is contagious, and sooner than they know it they're all feeling the energy. It's odd how it's always one or the other that's in the thick of it when matters get serious." Aizawa remarked.

Just then, from the very heart of the residential area of the field, a large explosion went off, a fire cloud almost shaped like a tiger, rising up into the air.

"And then there's **her**." Aizawa said, looking towards the fire cloud as a form broke free of the flames, a few flames still clinging to arms. "She **is** the heart of the class. The one that always seems to be the silver lining when the rest of the class goes grey. After all she's been through, she still manages to encourage her classmates, a smile on her face, and isn't one to shy away from a challenge. If any of them will rise instantly to the task without balking in the face of it even for a second, it's her. By the way, nice joke-me, worried over them? No, I'm watching expectantly. Those three...their presence raises the game of the whole class."

Back in the residential area, Halyn was now clinging to the side of a building, her claws dug into the building side. Far below her, those that had sought to take her down, now lay scattered, many of them having been knocked out or knocked aside when she showed them one of her new super moves; Starburst Tigerlily. But she knew she wasn't done here. About six of them had escaped being knocked out by the power behind her fiery claws. Now she had to finish the job and tag the targets of two of them.

Bunching up the muscles in her legs, Halyn pulled her claws free and launched herself from her perch. Those below braced themselves for her attack, but right before she could reach the ground, Halyn vanished in a flash of electrical bolts. She reappeared between two of them, taking them down with well aimed hits before vanishing once more. Repeating the previous attack, she managed to render all of them unconscious, which allowed her to tag out two of them, giving her a pass.

When she had claimed her two targets, her target pads lit up blue and a small voice begun speaking to her.

" _Now that you've passed, please head to the anteroom._ "

Halyn was more than happy to do so. When she made it to the anteroom, she found that about twenty other people had made it there before her. Over all, it wasn't a bad placement and it looked like she was the first of her class to make it through. Not sure how to even begin to strike up a conversation with other schools' students who could feel the same way about her as the people she confronted previously, Halyn got her targets removed, grabbed a drink and retreated to seat against one wall.

She was still sitting there when, about twenty passed participants later, Todoroki came walking in through the door of the room. Smiling, Halyn stood up and waved to him.

"Shoto!"

Todoroki's eyes found Halyn standing off to one side of the room, a smile on her face as she waved to him. He was glad to see she had made it through alright. He had worried when they had gotten separated, but he should have known she would be alright. Crossing the room, he joined her, her tail curling happily when he came to a stop before her.

"You made it through alright. Has any of our classmates?" he asked.

"No. So far it's just you and me." Halyn replied, but rushed to add. "But you know them. They'll be fine."

Todoroki nodded in agreement, causing a smile to curl her lips. It was then that Halyn's eyes caught on a group of students from another school who stood nearby, their heads close together as they whispered and eyed her. Todoroki watched as her smile slipped away, her tail sinking. He followed her line of sight to the group as she gripped one arm in an almost sheepish manner.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing. They were part of the group that initially attacked me right from the start. My two targets were actually two of their comrades. They really don't like me." Halyn replied.

"Since you took down two of their own, I can under-"

"That's not why, Shoto."

Todoroki turned his eyes to Halyn as she looked away from the group, idly rubbing her other arm. She wouldn't even look up at him, just stared at the ground.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

"They likened me to All for One."

Now he got it.

The group didn't like her because they thought she was the same as the villain that ended All Might's career as a hero.

"Halyn..."

"I get it. Really. I knew it was going to come up eventually. How could I expect anything else considering the two of us have the same quirk? People can't accept what they don't understand and I know I'm bound to meet people who will, no matter what I do, see only All for One when they look at me. I knew that the moment I found out about him." Halyn said, reaching up to lay her hand over her heart.

He was pretty sure that her parents' lockets were stashed away in an inside pocket there. He had caught her, quite a bit, reaching for them when she needed a little extra strength to stand strong. Stepping closer to her, he reached out, catching her other hand in his, making her look up at him.

"I've got your back."

It was all he could think to say to her, but it had his desired result. Halyn smiled sweetly at him in that way that she only showed him and she returned the gentle squeeze on her hand, her tail perking up.

"I know you do. Its just going to take some getting use to. Maybe, if given time, it'll change. For now, I just gotta work hard." Halyn said.

Todoroki nodded in agreement. He would be there every step of the way, fighting along side her and trying his hardest. After all, she had his back, so he had to have hers in return.

It was then that another voice, this one unnecessarily loud, reached his ears. Looking up and across the room, his eyes landed on Yoarashi who was excitedly talking away with another student about a hero he liked. Seeing that his attention had shifted, Halyn turned her head, her eyes quickly latching on to what had caught Todoroki's attention.

"Oh. Yoarashi. He arrived here a little before me from what I gathered. From what I heard, he took out around one hundred and twenty contestants with their own balls." Halyn said. "He's a rather loud and cheerful sort and has pretty much hopped from one person to the next to talk. He even stopped to talk to me for a little bit. Not that I got a word in else wise."

Todoroki could see that being the case. The guy obviously had a lot of personality. Not to mention that if he had gone out for one of the recommendation spots, then that would mean he would have had to have seen Yoarashi at the exam for those spots. Not that he could recall meeting the loud boy. As Todoroki was thinking this, Yoarashi caught sight of him.

In an instant, the smile vanished from the boy's face and his expression turned to that of dislike. As if unhappy with the sight of Todoroki, Yoarashi quickly whipped around, presenting Todoroki with his back. Todoroki had no idea what was up with the boy, but Halyn wasn't going to let him dwell on it. She pulled his attention back to her by giving the hand still holding hers, a squeeze. She smiled up at him when he looked back at her.

"How about we grab something to snack on and something to drink. We should take this chance to replenish our energy." she told him.

Todoroki agreed with her, following her as she headed for the refreshment table, releasing his hand. He caught himself reaching out to take hold of her hand again and stopped. He wasn't her boyfriend and had no right to do that. Especially not in a crowded area like the anteroom. Letting his hand fall back to his side, Todoroki fell into step beside her. They each got something to eat and drink and then located some seats.

For a while, they merely sat there and talked, taking the chance to rest and refuel. And then Halyn caught sight of the next little group to make it pass the exam and her face lit up as she rose to her feet.

"Momo! Kyoya, Tsuyu! And Shoji, too!" she called, waving.

Todoroki turned as their four classmates came towards them, the girls instantly going to Halyn who greeted them with a hug.

"I knew you guys would make it." Halyn said happily.

"Yes, well...it wasn't easy." Yaoyorozu said. "Our opponent knew exactly how to counter us."

"But you made it through and that's what matters." Halyn assured her, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

"What about the two of you?" Shoji asked.

"They probably stuck together." Jiro remarked.

"Actually, we got separated right before the starting buzzer and took down our targets alone." Halyn admitted. "And we had large groups hunting our heads, right, Shoto?"

"Yeah." Todoroki agreed.

"Seriously? You too?" Jiro asked.

"It seems like everyone instantly went after us from UA." Asui remarked.

"Probably because where the others schools don't know the quirks of each other, they all knew ours thanks to the Sports Festival. It's natural to first go after those you can plan a counter strategy against." Halyn remarked.

"They obviously weren't prepared for how much work we've put in or how much we've grown since then." Shoji remarked.

"No, you're probably right. I'm sure the rest of our classmates will show them that lesson." Halyn agreed.

The next group of their classmates to make it pass the exam, was Midoriya's group with Sero and Uraraka and Bakugo's group with Kirishima and Kaminari.

"So there's twelve of us here then." Todoroki said, looking around.

"Nine more from Class A to go." Halyn added.

"The announcer said eighty-two have passed...that means they need to be within the next eighteen to pass. I wonder if Iida is doing alright." Yaoyorozu worried.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. It's Iida after all." Halyn assured her.

"I hope you're right." Yaoyorozu said.

Halyn had faith in her classmates. After all they had been through, if they couldn't get past this, then what where they doing with their lives?

Despite her faith in her classmates, they really did take it down to the wire. With only ten spots left, the last members of their class managed to make it through. With the rest of their classmates joining them for the next phase of the exam, the majority of Class A let out a cheer. Reuniting, they celebrated their success, even though there was still another phase to the exam.

" _Ahem, alright, everyone, please watch._ " came Mera's voice over speakers, directing their attention to a large TV screen that showed the exam field.

"Wonder what's gonna-"

Uraraka was cut off as the buildings on screen suddenly blew up. Halyn had a bad feeling about this.

" _The next exam is the last! You will all act as bystanders and conduct rescue operations at a disaster site!_ "

Yep, just as she thought.

"As bystanders?" Mineta asked.

"Yeah, you know, as people who just happened to be there." Toru explained. "We did it as a lesson once, remember?"

"The term can also simply refer to the general public, of course, but-"

"We aren't the general public." Halyn said, when Yaoyorozu trailed off.

" _You will_ _ **not**_ _be acting as ordinary citizens, but as people who have already secured a provisional license. This will be a test of your aptitude for rescue operations._ " On screen it showed old people and little kids among the fallen buildings and piles of rubble. " _They're all in very high demand for all sorts of drills as pros at needing rescue! They're the staff of the Help Us Company, or H.U.C for short!_ "

"Talk about a job made for this day and age." Halyn remarked, her classmates agreeing with her.

" _The folks of HUC are on standby all over the field disguised as casualties. And it's your mission to extricate them. Now, this time you and your rescue efforts will be graded via points. If, at the end of the exercise, you have exceeded the watermark score, you will have cleared the exam. The test starts in ten minutes, so go use the facilities now if you need to._ "

Halyn took the time to think about this, ignoring her classmates as Mineta and Kaminari ganged up on Midoriya about something that happened between him and a girl from Shiketsu. She focused more on the task ahead. Back in Italy, heroics classes, depending on the school one went to, could start in middle school. Which was what Halyn had done. As such, she had done a couple of different internships with various hero acquaintances of her brothers. A few of those had been heroes who specialized in rescue missions.

It gave her some experience, but she would never claim she was an expert. Several of the students from other schools would probably have more experience than her. In this, she was, once again, at a little bit of a disadvantage. She, just like her classmates, would just have to learn as she went and try to remember all her brothers had taught her about rescuing others.

"Shiketsu's coming over this way."

Kirishima speaking, snapped Halyn out of her thoughts. She turned to face the members of Shiketsu as they approached, Todoroki at her side. The leader of the group, Nagamasa, approached Bakugo then.

"Hello there, Bakugo. Shishikura...the slant-eyed guy, did he come after you?" Nagamasa asked.

"Yeah...and I knocked him out." Bakugo retorted.

"I knew it! He must have been all manner of rude to you, and hurt your feelings. He tends to push his own values on others, you see. He probably went nuts at the sight of a famous kid like you. I want to build a good relationship with UA from here on out. We apologize." Nagamasa told Bakugo before wishing him good luck and turning to leave.

Halyn thought that was nice. It wasn't often that people from rival schools wanted to be on good terms with each other. It was then that Todoroki headed past her, calling out to Yoarashi before he got too far.

"Did I do something?" Todoroki asked, wondering what he could have done to make the other boy dislike him so much.

When Yoarashi turned to face Todoroki, Halyn could tell that he really, **really** didn't like Todoroki. She had a feeling that this wouldn't end well.

"I'm really sorry to say this, oh son of Endeavor, but **I don't like either of you**."

 _Yeah, that's what I thought. This really isn't going to end well_ , Halyn thought.

"Something about you's changed a little since then, sure, but those eyes...they're the same as Endeavor's." Yoarashi growled before his upperclassman called him, making him turn and leave without another word.

One look at his face was all it took to tell Halyn that Yoarashi's words had hit him like a slap in the face. Stepping up close to his side, Halyn did for Todoroki what he had done for her just earlier. Slipping her hand into his, she drew his attention to her and gave him a smile.

"I've got your back." she told him, mirroring his words to her.

The smile he gave her in return was strained. While he appreciated her words, it seemed, at the moment, they were doing very little to lay his mind at ease. Halyn would have said more, but a buzzer rang out through the room then.

" _A terrorist attack by villains has unfolded! The scope of the damage encompasses the entirety of X City and the collapsed buildings have injured a great many!_ " came Mera's voice over the speakers as the room, just like at the start of the last phase, unfolded around them. " _The damage to the road is severe, causing considerable delays to the first-responders! The heroes on the scene must lead the rescue efforts until they make it there. Save as many lives as you can, even if it's just one! Start!_ "

With the exam called to a start, all of the students rushed out into the rubble. Halyn and her teammates, after seeing how the first phase played out, stuck together. Midoriya was the first to find someone and before Halyn could warn him to check the kid's injuries first, Midoriya blurted out, "Oh, no! That's terrible!".

Halyn wanted to smack a hand to her face.

"The hell was that!? Points docked!" the boy yelled, revealing that the members of HUC would be the ones grading them.

"Deku, you have to make a judgement call on their condition first and try to keep your words positive. Given the situation for this exercise, today is a horrible one for them already. You don't need to confirm it." Halyn advised.

"The girl's right! Why don'tcha confirm whether or not I can walk!? And ain't I breathin' funny!? What about the amount of blood pouring out of my head!? If you've got a provisional license you oughta be able to judge the victim's situation in an instant! This is all it takes to show me how much training you've had! Look around you at the big picture!" the boy snapped.

Midoriya turned to look at Halyn when she laid a hand on his shoulder. The girl gave him a smile before moving past him.

"I did a few rescue internships with hero acquaintances of my brothers back in Italy and know a bit of what they're probably looking for here. In a situation like this, we have to learn to work in the stead of the police or firefighters in the time before they can arrive on the scene. We have to learn to bridge that gap smoothly and be proficient at all kinds of things if we want to save people. Like I said, for people in this kind of situation...today is the worst day of their lives. They're scared and suffering both pain and anxiety. You should never let the first thing you say, be something negative. Put a smile on your face, reassure them that they will be alright, and quickly assess their condition." Halyn said, knelling in front of the boy.

Her classmates watched as she put a bright smile on her face. She leaned forward, spreading the boy's eyes to check his responses, checked his head, and assured him that all would be fine. Scooping him up in her arms, she turned to face Midoriya.

"Then, being as careful, but as efficient as you can, get them to safety. If you need an example, then think of how All Might would handle this." Halyn told him.

Midoriya got her point. Giving himself a slap to both cheeks, he put a smile on his face as he turned to the boy held carefully in Halyn's arms.

"It's alright!" Midoriya declared.

Seeing that the point had gotten across to Midoriya, the boy fell back into character. He begun wailing about his grandfather being trapped and Midoriya did as Halyn had told him, insuring the boy he and his grandfather would be fine before taking the boy from Halyn.

"I'm gonna carry this kid over to the first aid station, so you guys go on ahead!" Midoriya said before looking at Halyn. "Thanks, Ha-chan. You really know a lot."

"Yes, well...it's nothing to be boastful about. We'll all have to learn this soon enough. Go." Halyn told him.

Midoriya nodded and took off. With him gone, and after seeing that Halyn knew more about how to handle this than any of them, the group looked to Halyn for guidance. Halyn lead the way, talking as she ran.

"We have to move quickly. In a disaster of this scale there's always going to be a shortage of rescuers for those caught in the disaster. I've found that, no matter the country, that is always a depressing constant. We have to work as efficiently as we possibly can and, as my brother always told me, never go at it alone. You'll only end up wasting time. In this, we have to remember to stick to our roles. No matter how tempting it is to show off." Halyn told her classmates, coming to a stop to look around. "Also, unlike the first phase, it might be better if we split up into smaller groups and to work with other schools. In a crisis, we won't have the luxury of being picky on who we work with."

"She's right! Alright! Don't just communicate with classmates, we need to work with other schools as well! Now go save even more lives!" Iida declared.

"Also," Halyn called out, calling her friends to a stop before they could split up. "Most of the schools have centered their attention on the city part of the field. We should move to the outskirts and work our way in."

"Right!" came the collective call of her classmates.

With that, Halyn and her classmates split up. Halyn ended up teamed up with Todoroki, Asui, and Toru, heading towards the river that ran through one of the areas in the exam field. Almost as soon as they reached the water, they found two people in need of help, one in the water and another stuck in a ditch. Asui went after the boy in the water, Todoroki and Toru going in search of firewood to warm him up after being in the water, and Halyn went after the little girl in the ditch, calling that she was going to take the girl back to the first aid area the other schools had set up.

Moving as quickly as she could without jostling the girl too much, she made her way towards the area where the anteroom had been. There, some students from other schools, had set up an area to see to those who had been rescued. She reached the area not long after Midoriya.

"Deku!"

Midoriya turned as Halyn approached the area. He met her as the edge of the area.

"How is it going?" Midoriya asked.

"She looks like she'll be fine and the rest of the class as split up into smaller groups in order to cover more ground and work with others outside our class." Halyn said as she passed the girl off to one of the participants who was running triage. "I'm about to head back ou..."

Halyn suddenly trailed off, her tail perking up before she turned towards the girl who had relieved her off the little girl she had rescued.

"Take cover!" Halyn called out to everyone in the area, throwing herself over the two girls just seconds before there was another blast, this one close to the triage area.

All across the triage area, people took cover, the examinees shielding the injured. When the smoke cleared and they got a look at what had caused the blast, they were confronted with the fact that, apparently, those who organized the exam...had an awful sense of humor.

There at the head of a pack of henchmen, was Gang Orca, playing the part of a villain coming to attack the triage area.

"They really are trying to make this as real as possible." Halyn gasped in disbelief, as she turned to look towards Gang Orca.

" _Villains have appeared out of the woodwork to give chase! All would-be heroes on the scene, kindly suppress the villains while at the same time continuing relief efforts._ " came the announcement.

Halyn let her instincts take over, allowing her training to guide her and reacted with her first response. Turning to those behind her, she issued one simple order.

"Evacuate, now!" she called.

Responding to her yell and snapping out of their surprise, the others got to moving. They started rounding up the injured, getting everyone in gear while Midoriya and Halyn turned to face the henchmen quickly approaching them. Bracing herself to defend the retreating of the injured, Halyn was shocked when Shindou shot past her and Midoriya.

"Make sure everyone takes refuge! Over there! As far from the villains as possible! I'll hit 'em with a barrage of single-second interval quakes!" he told them.

Midoriya and Halyn nodded, turning to do just that. Halyn helped Midoriya to get an injured man on his back, bending to help a woman to her feet. Halyn stumbled a moment when Shindou's first quake rocked the area, but it seemed that, while the quake took down some of the henchmen, it wasn't enough to stop Gang Orca. Gang Orca was able to easily take Shindou down with a sound wave and would have turned his attention on the injured being moved away if it wasn't for the sudden appearance of Todoroki.

With him came a few of their other classmates.

"Midoriya! Leander!" Ojiro called, running up to them. "You evacuating people? We're here to help!"

"Guys! Where were you?" Midoriya asked as Halyn passed off the woman she was supporting to Tokoyami.

"We were by the waterfront on the other side! Everybody headed towards the city section, so we've gotten a little short on hands. We saw the number of villains swarming here and came to give you a hand! Asui and the others are carrying on with the rescuing!" Ojiro replied.

"Good thing you arrived when you did." Halyn remarked, turning to peer towards where Todoroki was trying to confront Gang Orca with his ice, but it wasn't having the effect he had hoped for.

When Yoarashi entered the fight, Halyn wondered what had taken a member Shiketsu so long to enter the front lines. Though, she wasn't so sure that it was the best idea to have Yoarashi out there with Todoroki. She feared for their ability to fight side by side when one really didn't like the other. And seeing the looks on their faces when they laid eyes on each other, she was only further convinced that she was right.

The others, though, saw the appearance of the two as the chance to get everyone out of the way. As one girl said, the "heavy hitters" were there. Normally, Halyn would have agreed. Todoroki and Yoarashi's quirks were adept at suppression. That being said...it wouldn't mean anything if they couldn't work together and Halyn had a feeling that Yoarashi really didn't want to work with Todoroki.

And then the two begun fighting.

Apparently, when Yoarashi was younger, he had met Todoroki's father and the man had coldly, and cruelly, shoved him aside, deeming him beneath him. Then, when the two had met at the recommendations exam, Todoroki had done the same thing, leading to Yoarashi turning down his acceptance to UA and to his dislike of Todoroki.

Back then, Todoroki had been so focused on denying his father, on sticking it to him, that he had completely ignored Yoarashi, forgetting about him almost as soon as he met him. Halyn kind of understood Yoarashi's reasons for hating Todoroki and Endeavor, but she didn't see what holding on to those feelings got him. Especially not when it ended up with Todoroki getting shot with a cement gun and almost ended up with Shindou getting fried by Todoroki's flames. Thankfully, Midoriya saved Shindou in time.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Midoriya yelled at the two.

"Shoto! Both of you need to cut this out!" Halyn called as she ran forward to check to make sure Shindou hadn't been burned.

The two yelling seemed to snap a little sense into the two but it was too late. Gang Orca managed to paralyze both with sound waves, leaving them laying on the ground, but still able to use their quirks if not lift a finger. With the two down and their boss dealing with them, the henchmen started towards the injured once more with only Midoriya, Halyn and Shindou between them. Thinking that Shindou was still down from Gang Orca's sound wave, Midoriya and Halyn braced themselves.

"Move." Shindou demanded, revealing that, despite the damage done, he could move.

Using his quirk he managed to stop the henchmen for the moment.

"Shindou! Didn't you get paralyzed by Orca's supersonic waves?" Midoriya asked.

"Well, I still can't feel my extremities, but sound waves are vibrations. My brain gets a shaking practically everyday from my own quirk's recoil, so I've developed a bit of a resistance." Shindou replied. "By the way, I was aiming to use that to spring a surprise attack but then those two freshmen had to go and ruin the plan!"

Midoriya and Halyn shared a look, the two having the same thought. It certainly hadn't taken Shindou long to change his tune.

"I stopped 'em in their tracks now you two go immobilize 'em completely! I'll do my part and get the remaining casualties to safety!" Shindou barked at them.

"Got it!" Halyn called, her and Midoriya moving to do just that.

While she and Midoriya worked together to deal with the henchmen, Todoroki and Yoarashi, finally realizing their foolishness in their fighting, combined their quirks despite not being able to move, and formed a cage around Gang Orca out of wind and fire.

It was an inspired idea, but Halyn knew that, with them unable to move their bodies, they were only sitting ducks. There was no way they could keep it up and defend themselves at the same time. With that thought, Midoriya and Halyn quickly worked their way through the henchmen, getting closer and closer to Todoroki and Yoarashi and their fire cage.

Thankfully, their friends showed up, having gotten the injured to safety. With them came members from other schools to lend a hand. With the henchmen handled, Midoriya and Halyn teamed up to go back up Todoroki and Yoarashi. Ahead of them, just as Halyn had predicted, Gang Orca managed to break free of their fire cage. No matter how inspired the idea was, Gang Orca was the number ten top hero and they were only first years. There was a big power gap.

"Ha-chan! I got a plan!" Midoriya said, looking at her.

"I'm listening."

"Good...got any ear plugs in that hoodie of your's?"

Several yards ahead, Gang Orca turned to finish what he started, but only got a few steps before Midoriya attacked him with a mighty kick. Gang Orca managed to stop his kick with one arm, Midoriya's kick doing damage to the metal brace on his right arm. Kicking off from Gang Orca's arm, Midoriya pushed himself clear of the man.

"Now, Ha-chan!" he called out, giving a huge wave of his arm.

Realizing, too late, what was going on, Gang Orca whipped around, catching sight of Halyn, who was building power up by the second, just before she launched herself forward with a mighty push of her legs, a cry of "Starburst Tigerlily!" leaving her lips before a ball of flames shaped much like a pouncing tiger, came flying towards him.

Gang Orca raised his arms, crossing them to defend himself. A grunt left him as Halyn hit him, feet first, the power behind her super move enough to send him sliding backwards and further from the evacuating people. He slide a few yards before digging his feet in to stop his backwards movement.

"Leander!" he growled, looking up at the grimly determined face of the girl.

To his surprise, Halyn smiled before, in a flash of electrical bolts, she vanished. He only had time to think, "What the..." before she reappeared just to his side, another kick already flying for his face. He caught the kick only for her vanish once more, this time appearing crouched on the ground at his feet, her leg colliding painfully with back of one knee, driving him to that knee. Taking advantage of his decreased height, she attacked with a blue-and-black striped fur covered fist. Gang Orca knocked her fist aside, but she merely vanished once more.

Catching on to her movements, he whipped around just as she appeared behind her and let out a sound wave. The force behind the wave, sent her flying back from him, but with a mere roll, she popped back to her feet.

"How...!?" he demanded.

It was then that he noticed...Halyn had plugged her ears close with ear plugs. Since his attack used sound waves, she had blocked them out. While she still seemed to take a little damage, the girl giving her head a shake, she recovered faster than a normal person. Todoroki was sure that it was her self-healing quirk at work.

Dropping into a crouch, Halyn tensed up the muscles in her legs, launching herself back at Gang Orca. Gang Orca swung a hand to swat her aside, but she vanished once more. And then she was sitting on his shoulders.

"My apologies, sir, but this is going sting." she said, holding a hand in front of his face.

When he focused in on her hand...she dropped a flash grenade before vanishing from his shoulder.

 _That clever, little girl_ , he thought before the grenade went off.

Even squeezing his eyes close, he didn't have the time to shield them and it left him seeing huge white spots that mostly blocked his vision, but he knew she would be coming for him. He just wasn't expecting her to grab the back of his belt, kick out the back of both knees and use his falling as a way to flip him right over her back.

It was then that he realized what she was doing and it wasn't her trying to defeat him. Every attack, every move she made...was forcing him further away from the injured and further away from Todoroki and Yoarashi. It made him grin to realize just how clever this little girl was. And then his vision finally cleared and he was confronted with a shin approaching his face too fast for him to dodge.

And then the buzzer went off, announcing the end of the exam.

Displaying an amount of control he was pleasantly happy to see she had, Halyn brought her leg up short, missing contacting with him by mere inches. Balanced on one leg, Halyn reached up to remove an ear plug that had come loose, allowing her to somewhat hear the buzzer.

" _Erm-if I could have your attention please. All stationed members of the HUC have been rescued from the crisis area. This may be considerably selfish of me, but with that I must bring these provisional license examinations to a close!_ " came the announcement.

"It's over. Phew! That's good." Halyn said, pulling her leg back so that she was standing on two legs once more.

She gave Gang Orca a bow before she turned on her heel and quickly made her way to Todoroki. And just like that, she no longer had any interest in Gang Orca. The man kind of found it amusing.

" _After we tally the scores, I will present the results of the examination to you all here. Those who have suffered injuries, please direct yourselves to the medical office. The rest of you, please change back into your normal clothes and await further instructions. Thank you._ "

Gang Orca stood back, watching as Halyn broke Todoroki free of the cement that had dried around his shoulder and pulled his arm around her shoulder to help him to his feet.

"Boss we're sorry we failed to do our jobs." one of his sidekicks said. "It really is hard to move around with this restrictive protector on."

Gang Orca didn't think that was the case. Even without the restraints, Todoroki and Yoarashi's fire cage had been impressive. It had managed to weaken him and when that was done, Midoriya had come in, not to finish the job, but to distract him while Halyn got ready to lay down her own slew of attacks. He was sure that if the exam had dragged on much longer then Halyn and Midoriya together might have been able to deal him some serious damage.

 _Not bad for a couple of first years_ , he thought.

Not bad at all.

END

Kyandi: Before anyone says it, I did the research and, yes, you can block out sound wave attacks like that by blocking all hearing. At least, up to a certain extent.

Halyn: She likes her research a little too much.

Kyandi: I like to think I like it just the right amount.

Halyn: I wouldn't know.

Kyandi: Well, I do. Anyway, I just find it fun to make it seem like you could pull just about anything out of that hoodie of your's.

Halyn: As long as it'll fit inside one of the pockets, I can.

Kyandi: Exactly. Anyhow, we're off topic and I have another chapter to get to. So, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back in a moment.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	28. Apologies and Thank Yous

Kyandi: Greetings from Kyandi's World!

Halyn: She's a little sleepy.

Kyandi: I'm fine!

Halyn: You fell out of your computer chair just twenty minutes ago.

Kyandi: That was just an accident.

Halyn: And then you banged your head on the desk because you started dozing off.

Kyandi: That was an accident too.

Halyn: And then-

Kyandi: No "and then". I'll get sleep when I'm done with the chapter. So everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 28 Apologies and Thank Yous

After a quick change of clothes, all of the students gathered once again before a stage set up with a projector screen. There, they waited while the scores of their test were calculated. Nerves ran high, everyone nervous to see if they had managed to pass or had failed in epic proportions.

"Times like these are the absolute worst." Jiro remarked.

"So long as you gave it your all, I'm sure everything will be okay." Yaoyorozu assured her.

Halyn, though, was focused more on the brooding figure standing at her side. Todoroki had been silent since the end of the exam and nothing she said seemed to even reach his ears. Wanting to try once again, Halyn reached out to him, but before she could make contact, Mera stepped up to the microphone to announce the results of the exam.

"Hello everybody and thank you for waiting. You have all worked hard. I will now begin by presenting the results of the examination. But before that, I have just a few words. In terms of how we went about evaluating you...between us members of the Hero Public Safety Commission and our colleagues from the HUC, we had two systems of point deduction that were combined to evaluate your performance. In short...we were examining both the quality and nature of your conduct in situations of crisis." Mera announced.

Halyn had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that made it feel like it was flip-flopping all over the place. Glancing out of the side of her eyes, she could see the grim, almost guilty, look on Todoroki's face and knew he had the same feeling.

"The names of those who passed the examination will be displayed here in alphabetical order. With all that in mind, please go ahead and review the results yourself."

The screen behind Mera lit up with the list of names of those who passed. More people ended up passing than Halyn had thought would, but she quickly cast off the thought as she scanned the list in search of her own name. When she found her name, she couldn't hold back her beaming smile and was about to release a cheer of victory but then her eyes moved to the 'T's and she realized something that put a quick gray cloud over her mood.

"I'm not up there." Todoroki said from beside her.

Halyn turned to look at him, her tail dropping in disappointment for him. She had had a bad feeling but she had hoped, prayed, that she was wrong. It seemed it merely wasn't meant to be.

"Shoto-"

"Todoroki!"

Halyn cut off, both her and Todoroki turning as Yoarashi approached Todoroki, a fierce look on his face. For a moment after he came to a stop, he stared intensely down at Todoroki, Halyn fearing, for that moment, that there was going to be another fight between the two. But then Yoarashi did another of his overly extreme bows, banging the top of his head into the ground.

"I'm sorry! You failing to pass...it was all my fault! My lack of heart is entirely to blame! Forgive me!" Yoarashi apologized.

Halyn was pleasantly surprised and turned to see how Todoroki would take it. She could tell the surprise on his face but, thankfully, Todoroki seemed to realize his own mistake.

"From the very beginning this was a result of the seeds which I had sown, so cut that out. You really gave it to me straight back there. And thanks to that, there were some important things that I came to realize." Todoroki told him.

"Todoroki...you failed?" Mina asked.

"You're tellin' me our top two both didn't make the cut!?" Sero asked, revealing that Bakugo had also failed the exam.

"The two of you are both top-class, and consequently the egotistic and self-centered portions of your personalities back fired, one might say. And so, the hierarchy has crumbled!" Mineta said.

Iida smacked his hands on either side of Mineta's face and moved the boy away from Todoroki. Halyn stepped up beside Todoroki, reaching out to lay a hand on his arm.

"Shoto...I'm sorry." she told him.

Todoroki didn't even look at her, her tail sinking further as she wondered if that meant he was angry with her somehow. She couldn't take it if he was angry that she had passed while he hadn't.

"Ahem. All participants, have you had a chance to confirm the results? Moving right along, we will now distribute some handouts. The specifics of your scoring are described there in great detail, so please do look over them carefully." Mera announced as men begun passing out papers.

"Leander."

Halyn turned as a man held out her paper. Halyn gave him a bow of thanks as she accepted the paper. Her eyes turned to what was written there, scanning the notes that had been marked for every point she had lost.

"The cut-off line was fifty points. We utilized a point reduction system to determine your score. You can read over the various actions and behaviors which resulted in a deduction of your points, followed by how many points were deducted for each one." Mera explained.

Todoroki looked his paper over. It pretty much spelled out exactly what he had thought it would. Turning to see how Halyn had done, he found Mina and the other girls gathered around Halyn who was staring intensely at her paper.

"How'd you do, Ha-chan?" Uraraka asked.

Mina leaned over Halyn's shoulder when she didn't answer right away, and peered down at her paper. Her eyes widened when she saw the score.

"She's got a ninety-two!" Mina exclaimed.

"That's only two points lower than Yao-momo's." Uraraka said.

"I suppose." Halyn said in a tone that sounded like she was still dissatisfied.

"What is it?" Yaoyorozu asked. "What did they deduct points for?"

"Mostly it was for my hesitation in the very beginning of the first phase. It was more focused on finding Shoto then completing my task." Halyn answered.

Todoroki, who had been listening, stiffened up, his back going just a little straighter. Halyn had lost points...because of him? He hadn't meant for that to happen.

"I was also deducted for little things here and there, but it was mostly from the first phase. Seems all the training my brother put me through to prepare me for rescue operations, came in handy." Halyn added, giving her friends a half-smile.

Her score and the reasons for the deduction wasn't what was on her mind though. Instead she was thinking along the same lines as Midoriya. If the system for scoring them had run on a deduction system with no chance for recovery, then a student truly failed the moment they dropped below fifty. If that was the case...why let them continue the exam?

Her answer came soon enough.

"To all of the participants who passed...from now on, depending on the nature of the emergency, your new position will grant you the authority to exercise privileges equal to that of pro heroes. That is to say, combat against villains, conducting disaster and accident relief, and the like. Even without orders from pro heroes, you are now able to act at your own discretion. However, with that power comes an even greater responsibility to society, which, with every individual action you take, will grow ever larger! You'd do well to remember that." Mera told them.

A responsibility that Halyn already knew she was more than willing to take on. If she wasn't then she wouldn't have decided to live this life. After all, that was what being heroes was about.

"As all of you are surely aware, the hero who was the pinnacle of greatness known as All Might has exhausted all of his power. His very existence was one which was so great that, in and of itself, it suppressed crimes and controlled evildoers. From now on, now that the proverbial brakes weighing on their hearts have vanished, impudent villains will appear without fail, and their crimes will grow all the more severe. With the collapsing of the delicate balance which was upheld, our world is in the midst of great change! Sooner rather than later, all of you young aspiring heroes will grow to become the very core upholding our society. In the not so distant future, you all as pro heroes, will set the new standard. You, too, will become a pivotal existence which can inhibit and curtail evil. You must not forget, however, that as things stand now, you merely hold provisional hero activity licenses. Think of it as being not even half of a full-fledged hero. Therefore, we wish for you to resume your studies at each of your schools with even further zeal and diligence!"

That was right. She had her provisional license now, but she still had a long way to go before she was a full-fledged hero. That meant she still had a lot of work to put in and Halyn wasn't about to let down her guard. Especially not after everything she went through during the incident at the summer camp.

"And lastly, erm...to all those who were not fortunate enough to pass," Halyn glanced at Todoroki. "You do not have the luxury of allowing yourselves to become dejected over losing too many points. There is still a chance remaining for you all! After first attending a special training course in March, if you produce strong results on your individual tests, we intend to issue all of you provisional licenses as well!"

Halyn perked up, turning to Todoroki who stared up at Mera in stunned silence. He still had a chance! Him, Bakugo, and Yoarashi all did.

"In order to cope with the "from now on situation" which I mentioned just earlier, above all else, we desire "high-quality" heroes, and "as many of them as possible". Although this was a "dropping exam", so to speak, we simply wish to nurture the growth of the one hundred who we selected to the greatest extent possible. And for that very reason, we observed you all right until the very end. And by no means did the results you demonstrated to us show no promise. On the contrary, if you but rectify the points which you lost on this exam...without exception, you have all proven to be candidates whose abilities exceed even those who passed! I do believe you'll be quite busy while having to balance the special training with your current school work, but I personally have no objections to you all attempting to re-challenge the exam in April." Mera told them.

"Man, that's great, Todoroki!" Midoriya said, cheering for his friend.

"Hey, just give it up, alright? There's no need to go out of your way to get the license. Just take the easy way, okay?" Mineta told Todoroki.

Halyn promptly whacked the little creep over the head, making sure not to hit the balls.

"What was that for!?" Mineta demanded.

"Have you forgotten, Mineta, that I still trump you every time. Zip it and leave him alone or we'll find out if you still fail to stand up to me." Halyn warned him in a rare display of annoyance.

Mineta wisely took cover behind some of the boys, not liking the serious look on her face. She gave him a pointed look before turning back to the rest of her friends. When she turned, she found Todoroki standing right behind her.

"Shoto...I-"

"Don't apologize again, Halyn. You should be proud of yourself. You passed." he told her. "I'm happy for you and proud of you."

Her friends watched as her tail perked up, giving away just how pleased she was to hear that from him. They all also knew that she would have never been that pleased had it come from any of them. Only him.

"Shoto?"

"I'll pass." he told her.

"You promise?" she asked.

"I promise."

A smile curled his lips when Halyn beamed at him, her tail curling happily. Reaching out, she took hold of one of his hands with both of hers, giving him the sweet smile she only gave him.

"Then I'll wait for you. Catch up quick, okay?" she asked.

Todoroki nodded, glad to see her so happy.

Watching from the side lines, Yoarashi tilted his head to the side, watching Todoroki and Halyn smile at each other.

"Are they...?"

"No, they're not." Kaminari said, answering Yoarashi's unspoken question about Todoroki and Halyn's relationship status.

With the results done, those who passed, were taken to get their pictures taken for their licenses, which were handed out to them before they left. Halyn left the testing site with her classmates, peering down at her license.

"Let me see." Todoroki said, holding out his hand.

Halyn handed it over. While it had her name printed at the top, her picture to the right, her hero name was printed in the lower left-hand corner. It was a simple piece of plastic, but it represented so much about their future.

"I'm going to send a picture of it to my brothers." Halyn said, taking it back to snap a picture of it with her phone.

Todoroki smiled as he watched her type something into her phone and hit send. A loud yell and the sound of thundering footsteps, had the two turning as Yoarashi came their way, waving a hand over his head as he ran.

"Todoroki! I'll see ya again at special training, y'hear?! But! Honestly, I still kinda don't like you! So I just wanted to apologize in advance! Sorry!" Yoarashi called as he continued running right on past them.

"What kind of apology is that suppose to be?" Kirishima asked.

"I'll use discretion as well." Todoroki said.

Halyn laughed lowly, smiling as Kirishima gave him a look, sweat-dropping.

"I don't know. I think it fits their relationship just fine." Halyn told Kirishima.

Over all, the day had been a long one, but Halyn was satisfied with her results. Yes, she felt bad for Todoroki who had not been able to pass, but she was happy with her own results. She had managed to take another step forward on her path to being a hero.

Now she had opening ceremonies for the new semester to look forward to.

-0-0-0-0-

That night, while everyone slept, Bakugo and Midoriya got into a fight. When everyone woke up the next morning, the two had been put under house arrest and were force to clean the dorms while they were stuck there. When Halyn heard from Midoriya the reason why Bakugo had called him out, she approached Bakugo...and kicked him in the shin.

"Fuck! What the hell was that for, you shitty cat!?" Bakugo snapped at her, balancing on one leg as he rubbed his abused shin.

He turned to throw a slew of crude curses at her, but froze when he saw the look on Halyn's face. Everyone froze on the spot when they saw the grim and serious expression on Halyn's face as she looked at Bakugo. It was an expression that most of them had never seen on her face.

"Seriously?" was all she asked.

"What? What the hell are you looking at me like that for?" Bakugo demanded.

"You really think you're the only one to blame for All Might being how he is?" Bakugo stopped, slowly lowering his foot back to the ground when Halyn's expression turned sharper. "Or have you forgotten that I was kidnapped, too? Hell, Katsuki, I was still present when he had to fight that monster! If you're to blame, then so am I! That being said...you don't see me acting like a problem child and starting fights!"

"What the hell do you know!?"

Everyone tensed up when Bakugo reached for her, like he was about to use his quirk. Right as his palm started to glow, Halyn's hand snapped out, latching onto his wrist. Having switched to wearing fingerless gloves all the time, this put her in skin-to-skin contact with him. Instantly, the glow died, Halyn's nullification quirk kicking in and leaving him unable to use his quirk.

"Don't test me, Katsuki, I'm being serious here. We're both equals in this." Halyn warned him, her friends tense, all of them expecting him to attack her. They knew she was dead serious simply because she was calling him Katsuki instead of Ka-chan. "If you really felt that guilty about it, then you should have grown-up, swallowed your over sized pride, and apologized to him! But you didn't. Instead, I had to apologize for the both of us, but I didn't say anything to you about it because I figured you were, at least, more mature than this."

Bakugo grit his teeth and tried to yank his wrist free of her grip but he was surprised to find that, since she had started at UA, her strength had increased and her grip was now like an iron band. She wasn't going to let him get away that easily.

"Obviously that's not the case. So, you know what, I applaud Aizawa-sensei. You deserve this punishment. Hopefully, you'll learn something from it. Like maybe how to grow up and act your age." Halyn said, finally shoving his arm away.

Halyn had managed to make him feel guilty for not considering how she had felt through this whole thing. Only a little though, and since he actually, somewhat, had some respect for her as an equal, he kept his mouth shut, looking away from her as his expression got more sour. Satisfied that he got her point, Halyn turned on Midoriya next, making the boy jump when he was met with the seriousness in her gaze.

"And you," Halyn started, making him shrink back. "What were you thinking, encouraging him? I understand needing to blow off a little steam, especially after everything we've all been through, but coming to blows with each other? Did you not consider the fact that, given your quirks, you could have caused some serious damage? Not just to the school, but to each other. Honestly, it's so irresponsible. I hope both of you take the time stuck here to properly reflect on your actions, though I'm sure only **one** of you will."

Halyn looked between the two, Bakugo refusing to meet her gaze. Heaving a sigh, Halyn hung her head and gave it a shake. Her expression shifted to a look of exhaustion, telling Midoriya just how concerned she had been for her two friends.

" _Dagli dei_ , you two exhaust me." Halyn muttered before, without another word, she started for the front door.

"Wait a minute." Halyn stopped when Bakugo caught up with her. "You know, don'tcha?"

Halyn searched his expression. After hearing everything from Midoriya, she had a good idea what he was asking. He was asking if she knew about All Might, Midoriya, and how the quirk they shared, worked.

"I know a lot of things, Ka-chan. My quirk gives me **that** much, at least." she replied simply before turning to leave.

Surprised by Halyn's rare display of authority, the others followed her, Bakugo and Midoriya staring after Halyn as Todoroki caught up with her.

"Feel better?" Todoroki asked Halyn.

"Not really."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

Todoroki peered at Halyn's face as she continued to walk. Halyn was normally open to talking to him about anything. That she wasn't willing to talk about this...Todoroki didn't know if he should feel hurt that there was something she didn't want to tell him, or concerned that it was something serious enough that she didn't want to talk about it.

For now, though, he was forced to drop the subject.

They arrived at the school, and headed for the opening ceremonies.

"Got it, everybody!? Don't break the line! Move swiftly! We're heading to Ground Beta!" Iida declared loudly.

"Ya'know, you're breaking the line..." Sero told him.

Halyn had to smile as Iida shook from the force of his dilemma.

"Since he wasn't at the entrance ceremony, I'm guessing Aizawa-sensei has something else to do this time, too." Uraraka remarked.

"Well, I guess things aren't that different from four months ago, after all." Ojiro replied.

"I actually find that thought to be reassuring after all we've been through." Halyn piped in.

They had to agree with her. It was nice to know that some things could remain the same despite all the changes they had been forced to make in their lives in the last four months.

"I heard the news, Class A!" Halyn heaved a sigh when that voice sounded. She was growing to dread Monoma's appearance in her life. "Two people! You guys had two people fail the provisional license exam?!"

"Monoma from Class B! Same as always, like he's got a few loose screws!" Kaminari remarked.

"I think it might be more than a few loose screws. That whole system is in need of repair." Halyn said.

"Well then, was it only you who failed again this time?" Kirishima asked Monoma.

His only reply was Monoma crazily laughing and then turning to present him with his back. Which wasn't an answer at all. When he turned back around, Monoma had a smug look on his face.

"Every one of us passed. We've pulled ahead, Class A." Monoma said.

"...Sorry...everybody..." Todoroki muttered.

Halyn laid a hand on his shoulder as she turned to look at Monoma.

"It's not a contest, Monoma. And we're in the middle of a school hallway. Try to tone it down a notch, will you?" Halyn told Monoma.

"Yeah, right. It's only their side trying so hard to compete with us." Kirishima told Todoroki. "Don't let it get to you!"

"According tooo Bradley-teacher, during da second semesterrr we'll have a class together. Lookin forward to it!"

This came from the foreign exchange student in Class B, Tsunotori Pony, whose Japanese wasn't up to the same standard as Halyn's, despite the both of them not being from Japan.

"Really? I can't wait then!" Kirishima cheered as Monoma whispered something in Tsunotori's ear.

"Whoa, they have a foreigner!" Kaminari remarked.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Halyn asked.

"Oh, right...you're a foreigner too." Kaminari said before rushing to correct himself when Halyn frowned. "I just mean that it's different with you! You can actually speak Japanese really good."

"Uh-huh..."

By the tone in Halyn's voice, she didn't buy it one bit.

It was then that they found out what Monoma had been whispering in Tsunotori's ear.

"Touch me and I'll beat ya til your mama don't know ya." Tsunotori said, a big smile on her face as she turned to look at Monoma, as if asking if she had said it right.

"Stop teaching her how to say weird things!" Kendo scolded as she whacked Monoma.

"Hey, you guys are holding up the back here."

Halyn and her friends turned to find Shinso and his classmates approaching them. Iida instantly rushed to apologize and move the class along. Halyn, though, was focused on something else. Leaning to the side, one eyebrow raised, she watched Shinso as he walked away.

"Hey...doesn't he seem more, I don't know...stacked now?" she asked.

The way she phrased that, threw Todoroki back to the comment she had made about him not being as stacked as his father when they were doing their internship. Though he couldn't even begin to explain the feeling or why it suddenly made him mad, Todoroki felt an intensely sharp stab of anger that had him grabbing Halyn's wrist and pulling her along with him as he followed his classmates.

"Shoto? What's wrong? Hey, don't pull so much." Halyn complained, some of her classmates laughing lowly because they knew jealousy when they saw it.

With Todoroki pulling her the whole way, they lined up with their classmates. When Nezu stepped up on the stage that had been sat up, the opening ceremonies begun.

"Hello! It's me, your beloved tiny mammalian principal! Lately, the quality of my fur that I am so proud of has taken quite a turn for the worse. I have taken great pains to care for it. What I've learned will benefit you humans as well! Having a well-balanced diet rich in zinc and vitamins is important, but the most important things of all is sleep! A lifestyle thrown out of whack is the worst possible thing you can do for your fur(or hair) so make sure you take special care to get enough sleep!" Nezu said. "What's thrown my lifestyle out of whack is the "incident" you all know about, the one that happened this summer break. The loss of our pillar. The effects of that incident have begun to manifest themselves even faster than one could have imagined. Moving forward, our society likely awaits great difficulties. Those of you in the department of heroes will likely see the most striking effects. And for the hero internships that many of you second and third years are engaged with, even more so than ever, it is critical to have an awareness of the crisis and conduct yourselves accordingly."

Halyn perked up then. Internships? Did he mean like the ones they had done after the Sports Festival, or was it something different? She had a feeling that it was the latter or it wouldn't have been just second and third years taking part in them.

"My apologies for bringing down the mood with such a heavy topic. But know that right now, the adults out there are doing the best they can to deal with it. And I would like nothing else than for you all to develop into individuals who will take over their efforts. All of you, whether from the UA staff, the General Department, the Department of Support, or the Department of Heroes...Do not forget that you are the successors to this society."

With that, Nezu stepped down and Vlad King stepped up to the microphone.

"Lastly, we have some final comments from Hound Dog-sensei from Lifestyle Guidance." Vlad King said, stepping aside to let the dog-like hero step up.

Apparently, whatever it was that Hound Dog was addressing, it made him angry because Halyn and everyone else could only understand maybe four words of what he was saying. The rest of it was barks and howls and growls. When he was done, and out of breath, he stepped aside and let Vlad King take back the microphone.

"Errr..."While there has been unbefitting behavior in the dorms, such as that of the students involved in a fight last night, please conduct yourselves according to the lifestyle standards expected of you all." is what he said." Vlad King told them.

With that, the students were dismissed to return to class. When Halyn turned to follow her classmates, All Might called out to her.

"Leander!" Halyn turned towards him when he called and the man waved her over. "Come here for a moment."

Iida promised to explain to Aizawa and, with a nod, Halyn parted from her classmates to approach All Might. Todoroki glanced back at her as she stood before All Might, the two talking lowly. Before she was out of his line of sight, he saw her expression shift to that of shock, her complexion starting to drain of color as All Might spoke.

Wondering what All Might could have said to her to get that kind of reaction, Todoroki followed his classmates back to class, Iida stopping to explain where Halyn was. A few minutes later, Halyn entered the class. She bowed in apology to Aizawa before taking her seat. To Todoroki, she still looked a little white in the face, but he couldn't ask her anything at that moment without drawing attention to her.

"Well then...starting today, we'll be resuming our normal classroom activities. I know you've all been through a lot, but now is the time to renew yourselves. To help you reach your full potential despite today's activities being limited to a classroom lecture this semester we'll have even tougher training than before." Aizawa told them.

Mina turned in her seat, whispering lowly to Asui. Aizawa, of course, zeroed in on her.

"What is it, Ashido?!" he demanded.

Mina flinched, knowing full well that if she turned around, she would find Aizawa glaring at her from the front of the classroom. Asui, though, saved her friend by raising her hand.

"Excuse me, sensei. If I may?" she asked. "I was wondering if you could please tell us more about the hero internships mentioned in the opening ceremony?"

"That's right. The principal did mention something like that." Sero remarked.

"I'm interested as well." Tokoyami spoke up.

"As am I." Halyn added in.

"It seems to be something that most of the upperclassmen are involved in, too." Yaoyorozu added.

"I was planning to tell you all about it some other time...but now that I think about it, I suppose it's more logical for me to tell you sooner than later." Aizawa remarked, scratching the back of his head. "Put simply, they're hero activities done off-campus. Think of it like a more formalized version of the field training you did with pro heroes before."

"Wow! I didn't know there was a system like that..." Uraraka trailed off for a moment, her mind working over time. Then she gasped. "What was the point of all the struggles we went through for the Sports Festival then?!"

"That's right...! If we have these internships anyway, then it wouldn't matter if we were getting scouted." Iida said.

"I'm sure there's more to this than that, Iida." Halyn remarked.

"The hero internships are an opportunity for you to make use of the connections you made at the Sports Festival. They're not linked to classes at all but rather managed at the discretion of students themselves." Aizawa said.

"Oh, so...they're work studies?" Halyn asked.

"Exactly. That being the case, if you made no such connections at the Sport Festival I imagine it'd be very difficult to participate in such activities." Aizawa explained. "In the past, each office would conduct their own recruiting efforts but it often caused a lot of trouble because they would fight over UA students. And that's why it is the way it is now. If that addresses everything, sit down."

"I-I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions." Uraraka said, sitting back down.

"Because you have acquired your provisional licenses, you are now eligible to participate in formal, longer-term activities. In the past, there weren't very many examples of first year students with licenses, but with the rise of the villains, we are very deliberately thinking about your participation. You will also be expected to write about your experiences, but I'll properly explain all of that as well as your next steps at a later time. I've got some matters to tend to." Aizawa told them.

With that, he handed the class over to Present Mic for English. The rest of the day, Halyn's mind was torn between school work and what she had spoken of with All Might. After classes were over, Todoroki turned to Halyn, asking if they were going to walk back to the dorms together. The look that crossed her face was one of discomfort.

"Sorry, Shoto, but I can't. I've been asked to report to the teachers' lounge. I imagine I'll be home late tonight." she told him.

"What? Why?" Uraraka asked, having heard.

"I really can't explain. I've been asked not to talk about it right now." Halyn told them before apologizing and hurrying from the room.

Todoroki watched her leave, wondering what it could be. She certainly didn't seem comfortable with whatever it was, but determined to do it nonetheless. Maybe when she got back, she would talk.

Maybe.

-0-0-0-0-

All Might really didn't want to be here, especially not for the second day in a row. But that being said, he now found himself standing behind the chair sat before the glass that separated him from the one person in the world he hated beyond all else.

All for One.

Laying his hand on the back of the chair in front of him, All Might fixed his eyes on the man on the other side of the glass.

"I brought who you wanted to see, now talk." All Might demanded.

All for One chuckled, his attention shifting from the annoyed hero to the person perched in the chair in front of him. Grinning, he greeted the person he had requested to see if All Might wanted any answers from him.

"Hello there...Halyn, my dear."

Sitting on the other side of the glass, her back straight as a board, was Halyn, her face set in grim determination as All Might stood protectively over her. All for One chuckled, as if he could just taste her discomfort.

"No need to be afraid of me." All for One told her.

"I'm not afraid. I just don't see what you have to gain from my presence." Halyn replied.

All Might laid a hand on her shoulder, leaning forward to speak into her ear.

"Remember, young Leander, you don't have to speak to him. We can leave at any time you wish." he reminded her.

"I'm fine, sir." Halyn assured him, her eyes never leaving All for One. "I'm here, as you requested, so, please, answer his questions."

"Now, now, there's no need to rush. Let us enjoy this conversation. We are, after all, kin." All for One told her.

All Might laid both hands on Halyn's shoulders sure she would only tense up, but Halyn merely took a deep breath.

"Alright, then. We can start by you telling us where Shigaraki is." Halyn replied.

"How very much like All Might of you." All for One remarked. "As I already told your teacher, I don't know."

"Then what was the whole point behind attacking our camp? What are you after?" Halyn asked.

"Perhaps you will understand, sharing the same blood as me and all. Some people just don't see eye to eye." All for One said. "In a way, your teacher there and I, are the same."

"How so?" Halyn asked, curious as to his answer.

"In the same way he aspired to be a hero of justice, I yearned to be the king of evil. It is as simple as that."

"But why?" Halyn asked.

"I had the power, the same power you have the potential for. I could embrace these ideals and embody them. If I can live on eternally through these ideals, then no effort is too great for me." All for One told her.

"Eternal recognition?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

Halyn thought for a moment. If she was to think of him as a normal person, any average joe or even like anyone who wanted to be a hero, then yes, it was hard to believe. If she stopped thinking that way and thought of him as the villain that he was, then...

"No, it's not." All Might looked down at Halyn, her grim expression fixed with a resolve he had come to acquaint with her. "In fact, I think I have a pretty good grasp on your way of thinking." Halyn remarked.

"Oh, is that so? Enlighten me then." All for One said, amused.

"Even though we are similar in that we both are driven to be something more, the way our brains are hardwired, is different. All Might and I look to the light, you to the shadows. You had the power to make your ideals limitless, to extend your own life. It wasn't until All Might stepped in and limited those boundless ideals, that you realized that you are just as human as the rest of us and that, eventually, there would be an end for you. Like all humans who know that there will be an end sooner or later, you entrusted your ideals to another. To Shigaraki." Halyn said. "How am I doing so far?"

All for One chuckled, silently letting her know that, so far, she was pretty on point. What could she say? She didn't people watch for nothing.

"And then there's me. I don't know how you found out about me, or why you took my father, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not particularly interested in knowing. I know why you have such in interest in me and it has very little to do with our blood tie or my quirk." Halyn said.

"Oh? Then what do you believe it is?" All for One asked.

"Simple...you want to hurt All Might as much as you possibly can. You thought me unconscious but I over heard enough to put the pieces together. I know the reason behind your picking Shigaraki, the connection he has to All Might's mentor. You picked him, knowing that the knowledge of his background would hurt All Might, just as you chose to tell All Might of the blood relation between us because it would do the same thing. While, yes, you had intended on giving my quirk to Shigaraki and ultimately decided to mix your blood line with his when you could not, the main reason you singled me out, was to hurt All Might. Am I wrong?"

Both men were surprised, though All Might knew he shouldn't have been. There was no telling what Halyn had over heard while captured by All for One. Even consumed with a fever and pain, Halyn knew she had to listen, had to continue to look for something to use to get free or information to report back once she was free, and that was what she had done.

"You wanted me, one of All Might's students and a blood relation to yourself, to join Shigaraki, a blood relation to All Might's master, in order to kill him and his own successor. Is this all about right?" Halyn asked.

All for One out right laughed, pleasantly surprised with the girl. She was far more clever than he had given her credit for.

"The rumors of your cleverness do not do you justice, my girl. But do you truly not want to know how I found you? It is quite the interesting story." All for One said. Halyn hesitated long enough to give him an opening. "Your mother."

"My mother?" Halyn repeated.

"Yes. It is through her that we are related. I had been pleasantly surprised when I learned that my brother had descendants and when I found your mother, she was already married to your father. I observed her, to see if she had the same quirk as my brother, but she didn't. Nor had her father before her or his father before him. I didn't expect it to be present in the family after so long, but just to be sure, I decided to observe her children. None of your brothers had it, either. It was when I found out that she had a daughter, had you, that your mindless oaf of a father got her killed."

All Might's grip on Halyn's shoulders tightened, as if he was silently telling her that they could leave, but Halyn didn't budge, only tensed. She wanted to see where this was going.

"And then he abandoned you, you poor thing." All for One continued.

"Are you telling me he left me behind of his own free will?" Halyn asked calmly.

"As much as I would like to say yes, he did, I have no reason to lie to you, my dear. He fought the entire time to return to you, but I needed to test you, to see what you were capable of. That is why I told Flame Lash where he could find the daughter of the hero who had his brother arrested."

At this, All Might felt Halyn's spine snap straight as a board. All for One...had been responsible for her torture at the hands of Flame Lash. Gripping her hands together, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Getting worked up would not do anything but give All for One satisfaction.

"Those seven months of torture...were your doing?" she asked.

"Yes, well...I didn't expect it to take seven months for you to finally use your quirk. I had started to wonder if you had one at all, so imagine my surprise when I found out that, not only did you have one, you had one identical to mine! I was thrilled. I thought, surly, just as Tomura was shaped to hate heroes because of his past, that you would be too. Sadly, that was not the case. Your mind is very resilient." All for One said, though Halyn had a feeling that it wasn't praise.

"You underestimated me." Halyn replied. "And because of that, you, just like Flame Lash, thought you had the best of me, that you had the last laugh. I bet you thought you could twist me into changing my mind. Well, if that's the case then you don't know me because you're dead wrong."

"Leander..."

All Might had never heard her tone so firm and serious, as if she was trying to convince him just as much as All for One.

"Flame Lash tried to break me and you tried to bend me to your will, but you both failed and now I have a new life that I'm more devoted to than ever. I know what doesn't kill me will eventually make me stronger and nothing you say or do, will change what I've decided. I will fight to hold on to this dream and this life regardless of whatever villain comes my way." Halyn rose to her feet as she said this, All Might removing his hands from her shoulders. "I must say, I really must thank you, All for One."

"Thank me?" All for One asked, confused as well as displeased with the direction the conversation was taking.

"Yes. If it had not been for your interference in my life, I probably would not have grown up with such a determined drive to be a hero as I have now. It is thanks to you that I will continue my training to be a hero and, one day, I will, along with Deku, will take down everything you've built up. I will do my parents and All Might proud. So thank you." With this, Halyn gave All for One a bow before turning to All Might. "Might we leave now?"

All Might nodded, stepping aside to let Halyn walk past him. Before she could reach the door, though, All for One spoke up.

"You really are so much like your ancestor, so much like my brother." All for One said.

Halyn came to a stop and, for a moment, she didn't move, then she turned to look at him and, to his surprise, gave him a bright smile.

"Good...then I am **nothing** like you." she told him.

With that, All Might and Halyn left, meeting up with Tsukauchi outside. Halyn heaved a sigh as they left the prison and headed for Tsukauchi's car to head back. All Might glanced down at her as she idly rubbed at the palm of one hand.

"I'm sorry to have to expose you to that, young Leander." he told her.

Halyn gave a shake of her head, a smile curling her lips.

"Please don't apologize to me, sir. Because of this...I was able to find out that my father didn't leave because he wanted to. If he really wanted to twist me, then All for One would gain nothing by lying about that." Halyn said, heaving a relieved sigh.

All Might was glad to see her walk away from this encounter with a smile on her face. When he had approached her that morning about going with him, she had turned as white as a sheet. At least she had left the whole thing with some kind of closure.

"Good. Then let's get back." All Might said, turning towards the car.

"Just a moment," Halyn called out making him turn back towards her. "If I may, there's a favor I would like to ask of you."

"A favor?"

-0-0-0-0-

When Halyn said she had a favor to ask of him, **this** was the last thing he had expected, but given what he had seen of her personality and nature, he should have expected it.

All Might and Tsukauchi stood in the doorway of the hospital room of none other than Best Jeanist. Halyn stood at the foot of the hero's bed, bowing to him as she thanked him for his part in her rescue and apologizing for the injuries he had sustained on the behalf of both her and Bakugo. It made All Might smile, watching the girl as she chatted with Best Jeanist, wishing him a fast recovery.

Best Jeanist was just one of the many heroes they had visited since leaving the prison. The favor that Halyn had asked for, was to use the time to visit all the heroes that had taken part in the rescue attempt, to thank them and to apologize, on the behalf of both her and Bakugo, for all the trouble they had been caused.

First they had seen Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady, then Gang Orca, Halyn apologizing twice to him for both the trouble her kidnapping had caused him and for how rough she had to be with him during her provisional exam. Next had been Edgeshot and that had lead them to their current location. Next they would see Gran Torino.

Halyn gave Best Jeanist one more bow before they left. When they arrived at Gran Torino's, it was the same thanks and apology, the girl bowing to the old hero. Gran Torino looked from Halyn's bowed head to All Might and Tsukauchi who stood behind her.

"I told you you had nothing to worry about with her, Toshinori." Gran Torino said, making Halyn raise her head.

"Sir?" she asked, confused.

Gran Torino reached out then, giving her a pat on the head.

"You're a good kid." he told her.

Halyn stood up straight, reaching up to touch her head, confused by this whole thing. Gran Torino merely leaned on his cane, watching her as she smoothed her hair.

"Tell me something, girl." Gran Torino said, drawing her attention back to him. "Now that you know everything, and it would be so easy to give up this life, why do you want to be a hero?"

"Me, sir? Well...after spending all those months exposed to the darker side of humanity, I decided that I couldn't sit back and watch others suffer as I had. It broke my heart to think of others hurting as I did. I took the hero name Fallout because I want to be the buffer that stands between innocents and the results of the fallout zone between heroes and villains. It was simply that I wanted to help others, to protect. I don't care about fame, or money. I don't need either of those. At the end of the day, I just want to know that I could preserve at least one person's smile. Like I said, I want to be a hero because I want to protect as many people as I can from suffering as I did. Plain and simple." Halyn replied.

Gran Torino let out a cut laugh and smiled lightly. Turning, he walked away from the three, his can clicking.

"You'll do just fine, kid." he told her.

Halyn, still confused, turned to look at All Might, raising an eyebrow in questioning. All Might just waved it off and, with a farewell to Gran Torino, they moved on to their next stop. Endeavor wasn't in his office, so they moved on to their last stop. One long drive later and Halyn found herself standing outside the mountain office of the Wild, Wild Pussycats.

Halyn took a deep breath, sure that this was going to be her toughest apology yet. After all, because the villains had been after her and Bakugo, one of the group of four had lost her quirk. Squaring her shoulders, Halyn headed inside, All Might and Tsukauchi behind her.

The Pussycats, minus Ragdoll, were surprised to receive a visit from Halyn and were even more so when Halyn instantly bowed and wholeheartedly apologized.

"I am more sorry than I could ever put to words, especially since Ragdoll lost her quirk and was only captured trying to protect me. On behalf of both Ka-chan and myself, I apologize for all you have been through and all the trouble this whole thing has caused you. I am truly sorry. I beg of you to find it in your hearts to forgive me." Halyn said, bowing deeply.

The three before her were surprised, just as every hero she had visited that day. None of them had expected her to go to them and apologize. When they didn't speak though, Halyn was fearful that they wouldn't forgive her, and then she was being pulled up out of her bow and into the arms of both Pixie-Bob and Mandalay. Tiger stood just behind them, a smile on his face.

"You don't have to apologize." Pixie-Bob told her.

"We're just so glad that you're alright." Mandalay added.

"You gave everyone quite the fright, young one. It is good to see you back on your own two feet." Tiger added, reaching out the pat her head.

Halyn felt like crying. After feeling guilty because she believed she had cost them a teammate, she had not expected this kind of reaction. Not that she was complaining. It was obvious, though, that she had really worried all of them.

"I'm so sorry." Halyn said again.

Next thing she knew, Pixie-Bob had her by the shoulders and was holding her out to peg her with a stern look.

"No more apologies." Pixie-Bob told her.

"She's right. Ragdoll might not be able to work with us anymore, but at least she's alive and well. At least you and your classmate are both alright. That is what matters." Mandalay told Halyn.

"And we heard that you obtained your provisional license." Pixie-Bob added.

"I have." Halyn confirmed.

"Then when you go looking for a work study, be sure to keep us in mind, okay?" Pixie-Bob told her, giving her a wink.

Halyn smiled brightly, then. Relieved have been forgiven, she gave a nod.

"I will." she promised.

Pixie-Bob and Mandalay pulled Halyn in for another hug, Pixie-Bob just having to end the whole thing by going for Halyn's tail. With a loud noise like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on, Halyn pulled away, pinning the back of her skirt down as she retreated back towards All Might and Tsukauchi.

"Way to ruin a moment." Halyn said, but they could all tell she was teasing.

With her apologies and thanks done, Halyn and her two escorts said their farewells and left. Tsukauchi dropped the two off at the campus grounds and after Halyn thanked him for his part in her rescue, they waved to the officer as he drove off. All Might turned to lead the way back to Halyn's dorm, to make sure she got back alright. By this point, the night lights had switched on to light up the campus.

"Do you feel better now that you've gotten that done?" All Might asked her.

"Actually, sir...I still have one more apology to go." All Might turned to ask her who and found her bowing to him, her hands grasped tightly before herself. "And it's to you, sir."

"What are you talking about? You don't need to apologize to m-"

"Please, sir, let me say this. If I don't, then I won't be able to continue to look you in the eyes." Halyn said, cutting him off.

After seeing how torn up Bakugo was about the whole thing, All Might knew he had to let her speak. So he fell silent, letting her continue.

"You, more than anyone, gave a lot to rescue Ka-chan and I and I haven't properly thanked **you** for that. And for all that you gave up...I am so very sorry. If we hadn't been caught, if I had been smarter about the whole situation and faster, then you...I'm so sorry!" All Might heard the break in her voice at the end, could hear the tears in her voice as she spoke, her hands trembling. "I scolded Ka-chan for his childish actions, fighting with Deku, but...even I wanted to punch something, I felt so guilty. When I woke up to find out what had happened, what you had done to save Ka-chan and me and to defeat the man responsible for it all, I felt so guilty that I couldn't face anyone. Just saying I'm sorry isn't enough. I feel like I've failed as one of your students."

So she had been feeling as guilty as Bakugo. After hearing Bakugo's feelings about the whole thing, he had wondered how Halyn felt and now he had his answer. This whole time, on top of dealing with the loss of her father and her own recovery, she had been bottling up her guilt, letting it boil inside her until she could no longer hold it. He should have talked to both her and Bakugo sooner, should have addressed this. After all, they were still children.

"Leander..." All Might reached out, laying a hand on her shoulder. When she straightened up to look up at him with tear filled eyes, he hugged her, patting her back. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Sooner or later, I would have lost my power. It was just a matter of time. It had nothing to do with you and young Bakugo. I never once blamed either of you. You are so strong, young Leander, but you are only fifteen. You don't have to shoulder everything by yourself."

"You mean, like you did?"

All Might chuckled lowly. He had walked himself right into that one. Laying a hand on her head, he ruffled her hair. She had one thing right...she wasn't anything like All for One and because of that and her caring heart, he knew she would do great things.

For now, though, she needed to get back so she could prepare for tomorrow's lessons.

"Come on. I'm sure you have homework." All Might said, turning to lead the way.

"Thank you, All Might." All Might looked back at Halyn as she smiled at him. "For everything. I don't know if you know this or not, but you, as well as my mother, was one of the reasons I wanted to be a hero. I saw the way the two of you always entered the scene with a smile on your face, no matter how grim things looked and it gave me hope for the world, even when my young eyes couldn't see any. It gave me the courage and heart to push forward and let go of the darkened parts of my heart. Remembering the way the two of you smiled no matter the odds, I was able to honor where I came from and was able to see what the hurt was for. I was able to see that I have more to give and more to be in a time when I was positive that Flame Lash had completely ruined my life. So...thank you."

Halyn gave him another bow, this time out of gratitude. All Might smiled as he watched her straighten up and give him a bright smile. He had to agree with Gran Torino. With all the hope she had managed to hang on to, she would be just fine. Giving her shoulder a clap, they headed for the 1-A dorm, Halyn walking with a bounce in her step now that she had gotten everything off her chest.

Sometimes it really amazed him how resilient Halyn could be. She was determined to come out of everything seeing the bright side. All Might couldn't help but think that if he had met Halyn before Midoriya, then he might have been willing to pass One for All to her instead. That being said, he was glad he had met Midoriya first. The boy was going to be a good hero and, besides, Halyn had her own powerful quirk and was already on the path to being a great hero, herself.

She just had to survive three years of school first.

-0-0-0-0-

The next day, Halyn came down for breakfast to find some of her classmates sitting in front of the TV, watching a news cast. Curious, Halyn walked over to the couches.

"What's got everyone's attention?" she asked.

"This news cast. Apparently there's a small group of villains out there that aren't just killing pro heroes, but other villains too." Kaminari told her.

"Really?!"

Surprised, Halyn focused in on the news cast. The villains were a small group of four, and all anyone ever saw of them were cloaked and hooded figures fleeing the scene of the crime. As of that morning's news run, they had killed a total of four pro heroes and seven villains and that was just in the last two weeks.

While she had heard of villains killing each other over things like territory and backstabbing, or even dealings gone wrong, she had never heard of a villain that actively went about killing other villains. Then again, ever since All Might's retirement, things had gotten crazy.

Halyn just hoped that the pros caught this group of villains soon.

END

Kyandi: A little more foreshadowing for all of you.

Halyn: You're really trying to set this up, aren't you?

Kyandi: Yep. It's going to be awesome!

Halyn: Good. Wasn't there an author's note you wanted to give?

Kyandi: Oh! Right! If any of you have both read the manga and watched the anime, then you would have noticed that when Monoma told Tsunotori something to say to the members of Class A, I chose to go with what she said in the English Dub of the anime over what she said in the manga.

Halyn: She thought it was funnier.

Kyandi: And it is. I regret nothing.

Halyn: Didn't think you would.

Kyandi: Hehe. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll return as soon as we can.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	29. Green Light

Kyandi: Hey everyone!

Halyn: We're back once more.

Kyandi: Yeah...sorry, guys. I did it again. I got on another roll and when I went back to look, I had two chapters done.

Halyn: So you're all going to get a two chapter post.

Kyandi: Yeah, I'm really bad about this. I actually would of had these chapters up sooner, but I've been limited to one hand and to an on-screen keyboard.

Halyn: She grabbed a pan handle without knowing that it was covered in hot grease and was, therefore, extremely hot.

Kyandi: Second degree burns on the forefinger, middle finger and palm of my right hand.

Halyn: So she's stuck typing one handed.

Kyandi: It's frustrating. Especially since some of the keys are going out on my keyboard and I have to use the on-screen keyboard to type, which means, I'm going even slower.

Halyn: Then what have we learned?

Kyandi: Never touch pans on the stove top unless I have a pot holder on.

Halyn: Right. So shall we get on with it?

Kyandi: Yep. Just one more thing. I now have a Discord and a , if anyone wants to check them out. The information is on my bio page and I could really use people on my since I now need to save money to get a new keyboard. With that, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 29 Green Light

When his three days of house arrest was up, Midoriya returned to class with a renewed drive to catch up with the class. Halyn liked the attitude and only hoped that Bakugo returned to class with the same one, though she highly doubted that would be the case.

Bakugo didn't seem like the type to learn from the mistakes his attitude caused.

"Well, now that Midoriya has returned, let's formally talk about the internships." Aizawa said when class started. "Come inside. Let's hear firsthand from those with personal experience how these internships are different from field training."

Halyn and her classmates turned to the classroom door as it opened. Halyn blinked in surprise simply because she recognized the three students that walked into room.

"They have made time in their busy schedules to come and talk to you all, so please listen to what they have to say. These three third-years rank among the top of all UA students. They're known as The Big Three." Aizawa said, introducing the three.

Even not being from Japan, Halyn knew the three and had seen them compete during last year's Sports Festival. It was actually watching the blonde's quirk that had inspired Halyn to ask about materials that could adapt as her quirk did for her costume. While none of the three had finished in the top ranks of the Sports Festival, they were still considered the best of the best. It had made Halyn so curious that she had done her own research on the three and, looking at the results she had found, she had to agree with why they were called The Big Three.

"Alright, could you all give us a brief self-introduction then? Starting with you, Amajiki." Aizawa said, looking to the dark haired boy first.

Amajiki's gaze, when he looked up from the floor, was intense and instantly had a strong impact on the class. Halyn just tilted her head to the side. While, yes, it was an intense look, she didn't understand why her classmates had all frozen up under it. It was just a look.

And then there was what Amajiki said next.

"It's no good...Mirio...Hadou...No matter how hard I try to think of all of them as potatoes everything except their heads just keeps its human form...and besides their head I can only see them as humans! What should I do...the words...they won't come out! My mind's completely blank. It's so painful...! I wanna go home...!" Amajiki said before promptly turning on his spot to face the blackboard.

"This guy...is at the top of UA's hero class...right?" Ojiro asked, confused.

"Hey, Amajiki! Listen to this! Apparently, that's called being "chicken-hearted"! Hey! Even though you're a human! Weird, huh?! This guy's "Amajiki Tamaki", the chicken! And I'm Hadou Nejire. We've come here today because we were asked to talk to you all about the "internships"!" This came from the female of the group before she zeroed in on Shoji. "But, but...hey, hey, by the way! Why're you wearing a mask? Catch a cold? Or is that the latest fashion?"

"Well, a long time ago I-"

"Oh, and you! You're Todoroki, right?!" Hadou said, cutting off Shoji. "Right?! Why do you have a burn on your face like that?!"

"Well, that's-"

"And you, Ashido...if those horns break, do they grow back? Can you move 'em?! Hey! What about you, Mineta? Are those ball things on your head your hair? How do you cut it? Asui, are you a tree frog? You're not a toad, right?" Hadou said, blowing through question after question. And then she popped up beside Halyn's desk, making the girl lean away from her. "And you, Leander! Can you feel damage to your tail? If I pet it, will you purr?"

Hadou reached for Halyn's tail but Halyn snatched it away from her before she could touch it, reacting so quickly that it had the older girl staring at her in surprise.

"Yes, it does and no, I won't." Halyn replied. "Now, please...don't touch that."

Hadou grinned before moving back towards the front of the class, looking around at everyone.

"No matter who I look at, all of you have things that pique my interest! How strange!" she said, stopping to crouch down next to Ojiro's desk. "Hey, hey! Can you support your whole body with your tail, Ojiro? Hey, hey! Answer me! I'm super curious!"

"I see you're all lacking any sort of rationality." Aizawa said darkly, annoyed with the waste of time.

"Please do not worry, Eraserhead! I'm the key performer here today, after all!" Mirio said before turning to the class. "The journey ahead...?!"

Mirio trailed off, cupping his ear as he leaned towards the class. When he only got silence from the confused first-years, he smacked a hand to his head.

"That's where you say, "will be full of difficulties"! Alright! You all utterly fail at getting the point of the conversation!" Mirio declared.

"...These guys are all weirdos, huh?" Sato asked, leaning forward to whisper lowly to those classmates around him. "Considering they're The Big Three...it's kinda..."

"Weird or not, their results speak for themselves." Halyn whispered back lowly.

She got it, really she did. These three were all...quirky. Pardon the pun. Then again, there were several heroes out there that could be a lot stranger and everyone had something about themselves that others could consider weird. That didn't make these three any less good at what they did.

"Well, I can see from all your faces that you've got no clue what's going on. The explanation of the internships, which are not even a requirement, has been left to these third years students who just appeared all of a sudden. I get it, it doesn't make much sense, right?" Mirio remarked. "You acquired your provisional licenses as first years...is that right? Hrm...this year's first years are really...energetic, aren't they? I see...well, it seems like my intro fell flat here, so how would you all like to team up...and fight against me?!"

And that was how Halyn found herself gathered at the Gamma Gym, dressed in their PE clothes and facing Mirio. Halyn stood back with Todoroki and Aizawa, watching as her classmates confronted Mirio. They got the surprise of their lives when, first, Mirio's clothes fell off him and then when all their attacks passed right through him. And then there was his ability to, as they called it, "teleport". Halyn curiously watched, her eyes following how Mirio moved and fought. How he took out the long-range fighters first, putting everyone down with a blow to the gut.

"Alright, class! This is a great opportunity! So get yourselves roughed up a bit and learn from it! That guy, Togata Mirio is, as far as I know, the very closest man to becoming number one! And that includes the pros!" Aizawa called out to those still in the fight.

"In an instant, he took down over half of them...! The man closest to number one..." Todoroki trailed off, unable to believe it.

Aizawa turned to look at him.

"You're not going to join in? You've got your eyes on becoming number one too, don't you?" Aizawa asked Todoroki.

"I haven't obtained a provisional license yet." was Todoroki's simple reply.

Aizawa was surprised by how much Todoroki had calmed down since the start of the school year. Turning his eyes to Halyn, who stood on the other side of Todoroki, he found the girl closely watching the fight, her tail idly swaying behind her.

"And what about you, Leander? Aren't you going to join?" Aizawa asked.

Halyn was so focused on the fight, that she didn't hear him. Aizawa had a feeling that she would join the fight, but only when she was good and ready to.

And he was right.

Halyn continued to watch the fight as Mirio worked his way through her classmates, getting a pleasant surprise when Midoriya was able to read his next move, but, ultimately, Midoriya went down as well because, according to Mirio, everyone tried to counter his quirk by waiting for the moment before Mirio made contact to knock them out.

That got Halyn to thinking.

What if she wasn't trying to counter?

Todoroki's attention shifted to Halyn when, as Mirio was taking down the last of her classmates, Halyn crouched. Before Todoroki's eyes, the lower half of Halyn's body begun to shift as she activated Reborn Tiger, blue-and-black striped fur traveling up her legs as her toenails turned to claws and her legs shifted to resemble that of a tiger's more. Bunching up the muscles in her legs, she sprang.

Mirio had only a second before she reached him, activating his quirk in order to let Halyn pass through him. Halyn hit the ground rolling, popping back to her feet. In the next instant, Mirio was in front of her, his fist on a crash course with her stomach. Thanks to the fact that she wore her gym jacket open and only wore a sports bra-like top under it, his fest connected with her bare stomach, sending her flying back off her feet, her body rolling head over end.

With the last of the Class 1-A students down, Mirio turned back to locate the rest of his gym clothes. It was then that he saw the grins on some of the other students faces as they looked past him. Then Aizawa shifted from his relaxed pose.

"Leander, not her-"

Before Aizawa could finish what he was saying, Mirio whipped around, his eyes widening when he found Halyn's super move, Starburst Tigerlily, coming straight for him, the girl at the center of the supercharged flames. Thinking to activate his quirk, to just let her pass through him, he was met with a shocking realization.

He couldn't activate his quirk!

Halyn was too close, moving too fast, for him to dodge. Crossing his arms in front of him, Mirio took the impact of Halyn's attack, the force of it sending him flying back off his feet. Halyn flipped in mid-air, landing easily on her feet, the flames dying as the tiger-like parts of her body returned to normal. She had managed, during the attack, to burn off the arms of her jacket, but else wise, she looked just fine. Mirio caught himself so that he didn't land on his back and smiled as he looked at Halyn.

"I'm surprised! That's the first hit I've taken from a first-year in a long time!" he cheered. "But how?"

"Null and Void." Halyn replied. When Mirio gave her a questioning look, she clarified. "The quirk that nullified your's. It's called Null and Void. You told Deku that everyone tries to counter you by waiting until the moment before you attack and that you have counter measures for that. So I didn't bother trying to counter you. I just let you hit me so I could use Null and Void. I can't feel the pain, so I knew the hit wouldn't put me down. And no worries...the effect of Null and Void isn't permanent."

Mirio rose to his feet, laughing. Rumors around the school had painted her as a sly and keenly clever individual and he saw now that the rumors were true. She had observed while her classmates confronted him first, and had planned around his counter measures.

"I'm guessing, by the fact that your classmate there knew our names, that you saw the first-years' Sports Festival." Halyn remarked.

"We did." Mirio confirmed.

"Then you know what my quirk is."

"Assimilation...that's the name, right?" Mirio asked. "It gives you the ability to take other's quirks, right?"

"That's right. And I know your quirk too." Halyn replied. "It allows you to phase through everything, including the ground. What my classmates assumed was "teleporting" was merely "falling". You drop into the ground and, depending on how you angle your body, come popping out of the ground elsewhere when you deactivate your quirk."

"I'm impressed! You got it right." Mirio said happily.

"People watching has its merits. Now, I'm curious to see how you fight without your quirk. By the way," In the next instant, Halyn vanished in a shower of electrical bolts, reappearing right before Mirio with her leg already quickly approaching his gut. "this is teleporting."

Mirio was able to counter this kick, knocking her leg aside. Her balance knocked off, Mirio took advantage and attacked, but when he swung a fist at her, he received a second surprise.

His fist passed right through Halyn's stomach.

Jumping backwards away from him, Halyn flipped...and vanished into the ground, leaving behind her gym pants and jacket and her boots. Mirio turned, expecting her to pop up behind him because that's what he would have done, but Halyn appeared directly between his feet, landing a knee to his gut. She jumped clear of him again, Mirio getting a look at her. He found, thankfully, that Halyn was still dressed in the boy shorts and sports bra-like top that she wore under her gym clothes.

"I have to admit, when I recently redesigned my hero costume to have the material made from stands of my hair and some of my DNA so that it would adapt as my quirk does, I'm glad I requested these under clothes for my gym clothes be made that way, too. It makes practicing easier when I don't have to worry about losing all of my clothes." Halyn said.

"That's a good idea. I should do the same thing." Mirio said, rubbing his stomach idly.

"It's because of you that I asked about the material in the first place. When I redesigned my costume, I took into account all of the quirks I've seen in the last few years. Heroes, heroes-in-training, and villains alike. I remembered seeing your quirk at work during last year's Sport Festival and asked if there was any way to have material that would adapt as my quirk does."

"You really are clever." Mirio praised. "But you wasted your time."

That said, Mirio, his quirk finally being released by Null and Void, vanished into the ground. Halyn grinned before, she too, dropped. When the two reappeared from the ground, they were already swinging blows at each other. With both of them possessing the quirk to phase through anything, the battle quickly became a fight to see who could dodge and counter attack faster.

The two connected, Mirio catching Halyn's kick, while Halyn blocked his punch.

"I didn't waste my time. My use of Null and Void was just to allow me the time I needed to use Assimilation. Taking in part of your quirk was always my goal. Thanks, but you really shouldn't have allowed for contact again." Halyn told him.

Hopping on the leg she was balanced on, Halyn twisted her body while using his as support and swung a kick for his head. Finding himself, once again, cut off from his quirk, Mirio dodged, her leg passing over his head. Now in an awkward position and just a foot or two between their faces Mirio went in for a headbutt, but, in an electrical flash, she vanished once more, reappearing crouched behind his knees. A jab of her elbow had one knee buckling, sending him falling backwards. Halyn took the chance to aim a kick for his head.

Mirio twisted out of the way, the two jumping apart. And thus they continued, fighting until Mirio's quirk returned, Halyn not even batting an eye when he popped up naked before her.

"I grew up with four brothers, two of which have a fondness of wrestling all through the house, naked." was all Halyn said when Mirio pointed it out.

Aizawa had a feeling that if he let this fight go on much longer than it was just going to be a continued display of dodging, attacking, dodging, and counter attacking with no real shots landing. The kind of fruitless fight that came when two fighters had evasive skills higher than most. After a few more minutes, he called the fight to a stop.

Halyn bowed to Mirio before going to retrieve the rest of her clothes. After redressing and helping the rest of her class back to their feet, Mirio looked them all over.

"Whewww! Just managed to keep the jewels under wraps! My apologies for all that, ladies!" Mirio told them. "And so...that's the gist of it! Was my quirk strong?"

"Too strong!" Sero yelled.

"It's unfair! How am I supposed to feel?!" Toru demanded.

"Not only phasing but teleportation too?! Are you one of those hybrids like Todoroki?!" Mina asked.

"No, I've only got one quirk! Didn't you hear your classmate when she explained it?" Mirio asked. "It's called "Permeation"! Those movements you guys are calling "teleportation"...just as Leander explained, it's just an application of my quirk! If I activate my quirk throughout my whole body, it is capable of passing through anything! And when I say anything, that includes the ground!"

"Like I said. It wasn't teleportation, it was falling." Halyn remarked.

"Correct! I fall into the ground! And if I release my quirk while I'm falling, something mysterious happens. It's as if the mass can't overlap on top of each other...so I get catapulted out! In other words, I get shot out of the ground in an instant! That's the phenomenon behind my "teleportation". By adjusting the direction and pose of my body, I can control the angle and target where I'm shot out to!" Mirio explained.

"It sounds like a video game glitch." Mina pouted.

"What a perfect way to put it!" Mirio said, laughing.

"Not just being able to avoid any attack, but also to move wherever you want in an instant...that really is a strong quirk." Asui remarked.

"Not at all. It's strong because I **made** it strong." Mirio replied.

"Think about it, Tsuyu." Halyn said, drawing attention to her. "If he's able to phase through anything, even the ground, then one wrong move and he can really mess it up. He could possible fall right through the center of the Earth. It's not a quirk to take lightly and it makes a lot of things difficult. I only understand how to use it thanks to my own quirk."

"Point well made." Mirio told Halyn. "When I activate my quirk, no oxygen can come into my lungs. After all, even if I inhale, it all passes through me. My eardrums do not vibrate, my retinas catch no light. But because I still have mass, the only thing I feel is the sensation of falling. Are you starting to understand now? Let's say that I want to pass through a wall. I activate my quirk, except for one foot. Then I release it in the other foot, so it can contact the ground. Then I activate it in the first foot and pass through. Even the simplest of movements requires a set of operations."

"If it were us, we'd probably mess it up if we were in a rush." Kaminari remarked.

"On top of that, if you can't feel anything anymore, you might not be able to move." Mineta added.

"How'd you grasp it so quickly, Leander?" Kirishima asked, looking at Halyn.

"Like I said, my quirk. When I assimilate a quirk, I also gain a basic knowledge of how that quirk works and it's limitations." Halyn replied. "But, even for me, this is a tricky quirk. The amount of concentration required is extreme."

"Right you are! I fell behind! Before I knew it, every last thing had fallen away. Even my clothes. And with this quirk, if you wanna keep movin' up, that's the last thing you can afford to let happen! That's why you need prediction! It's the way to be faster than your surroundings. The way to trick time. Prediction is the most critical skill of all! And the thing that makes those predictions possible is...experience! Predictions are built on experience! It took a little bit of time, but that's why I wanted to play this game with you all. Instead of with words, I want to show you with my "experience"! In these internships, we are no longer treated like "guests", but rather we act as sidekicks for the pros! And that is a very terrifying thing. There have been instances where people have died! Nonetheless, no matter how scary or difficult the thought may be, all of it is an invaluable experience that you cannot get in school. With the experience I gained from my internship, I was able to transform my powers and reach the top! And for that reason, scary or not, this is an opportunity you cannot miss out on, first years!"

"He even sounds like a pro." Ojiro remarked as they clapped.

"That's what experience will do to you." Halyn said. "But he has a great point. All quirks, no matter how powerful they seem, have some kind of draw back. I know mine does."

"Speaking of which," Those standing close to Halyn, felt a chill go down their spines as Halyn turned around to find Aizawa staring down at her in a menacing fashion. "When did you increase the number of quirks you could assimilate?"

"Oh, right. I didn't tell you." Halyn said, smiling sheepishly.

"Leander." Aizawa growled in warning.

"I've been working on increasing my limit, little by little. Since I was forced to push past my limit, I've found it hasn't been as rough. I've managed to increase my limit from five to nine as long as it's not fully assimilating quirks." Halyn hurried to tell him, bowing her head in apology.

Aizawa heaved a sigh. While he was glad to see that she had managed to strengthen her quirk, just like her classmates, it still bothered him that she was pushing her limits again so soon after recovering from the last time. He was going to have to stress, later, that she needed to be careful.

For now, he dismissed the class.

-0-0-0-0-

That night, Halyn found herself seated on one of the couches in the dorm with her female classmates. Halyn's cat was curled up in her lap, purring as Halyn idly pet him.

"What do you guys think about these internships? Us first years are supposed to be observing and learning still." Uraraka remarked.

"It's kinda romantic that he rose to the top all the way from the bottom, isn't it?" Mina asked while Bakugo yelled in the background for everyone to bring him their trash.

"In any case, we do have the green light from Aizawa-sensei. What do you think, Halyn?" Yaoyorozu asked, turning to look at Halyn.

"Well, I've had a few offers and, if I was really desperate, I'm sure Endeavor would take me on, but I would really rather avoid that choice if possible. I think, if we get the full go-ahead, I might seek out help from an upperclassmen. Branch out, you know." Halyn replied.

"Are you alright with that, though? If you have offers, you should take them." Yaoyorozu told her.

"I know, but I really want to try to "network" as Aizawa-sensei puts it. Instead of working with heroes I already know, I want to work with new ones." Halyn said. "Making allies is important, too. Besides, my best option, at the moment, would be to work with Endeavor and truthfully...I really don't relish the idea of having to deal with Shoto's father without him."

From the tired look on Halyn's face, the other girls got the feeling that Halyn's internship with Endeavor had been more difficult than she had let on. Halyn would try to branch out and would approach an upperclassman that had caught her attention.

But that was only if they got the go ahead.

The following day, gave them their answer.

"I have the results of yesterday's discussion regarding hero work studies for freshmen. Starting with the principal the majority of the teachers said, "Give it up"." Aizawa announced, first thing that morning.

"Whaaat?! Even after the info session with the seniors?! Leander kicked butt!" Kirishima said.

"But if we think about it from the sequence of events that led to everyone living in the dorms, I guess it **would** turn out like this." Kaminari reasoned.

"Serves ya right!" Bakugo yelled from his seat.

"However...there are also those with the opinion that under our current safeguard policy we won't raise you to be strong heroes. So this will be our policy: "We will only allow freshmen to work at offices that have a good track record when taking in interns". That is the conclusion we reached." Aizawa told them.

With the go ahead, Halyn took her lunch break to head for the third-year classes. She was waiting outside the classroom when her intended target came out of his class, coming to a stop when she greeted him with a bright smile.

"Good afternoon...Amajiki-senpai!" she greeted brightly.

Almost instantly, Amajiki turned on his heel and tried to walk away as quickly as he possibly could. Halyn, grateful for her trained reflexes, grabbed onto the back of his shirt, digging her heels in to keep him from going too far.

"Come on, senpai, I just need to talk to you for a moment." Halyn said, but Amajiki wouldn't look at her. "Please? Help an underclassman out."

Amajiki heaved a sigh. He didn't turn to face her or look at her, too shy to do such a thing, but at least he stopped trying to walk away. Halyn's tail curled in joy, and, ignoring his classmates as they gathered at the door to see why a first-year was there to see Amajiki, Halyn got down to her point.

"You're in a work study right now, right?" Halyn asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Amajiki asked.

"Is there anyway I can talk you into introducing me to the pro you're working with? My sensei said we could do our own work studies but we can only work with offices that have good track records with interns. Please?"

Amajiki glanced back at Halyn who was pressing her hands before her in a pleading fashion. Seeing him looking at her, she gave him a big smile, adding in, "Pretty please." for extra measure. Amajiki turned away from her once more, hunching his shoulders as he jammed his hands in his pockets.

"Why me? Go follow Mirio." he told her.

"But...I don't want to. You're much more interesting."

Amajiki turned back around when she said this, only finding an honest smile on her face, not a hint of false flattery in her expression. Either she was a really good actress, or she was just being completely honest with him.

"Please, Amajiki-senpai? I promise I won't cause you any trouble." Halyn pleaded.

Amajiki had a feeling that if he didn't agree, she would just keep coming back until he did and **that** would cause him trouble. Really, when he thought about it, there was only one real answer here. Heaving a sigh, he glanced at her face once more.

"Alright, fine. Meet me at the front gate after school." he told her.

Halyn let out a cheer, throwing herself at Amajiki to hug his neck. Before Amajiki could even process what was going on, she released him and danced away, quickly taking off down the hall.

"Thanks, Amajiki-senpai! See you after school! I have to go inform Aizawa-sensei!" she called back to him, hurrying off down the hall.

Amajiki watched Halyn happily bounce off down the hall, her tail swaying happily behind her. Only one thought crossed his mind.

What had he gotten himself into.

-0-0-0-0-

"Remember to be mindful of yourself, Leander."

"I know, Aizawa-sensei."

"And remember that you only have a provisional license. Do not go overboard."

"Yes, Aizawa-sensei."

Halyn stood in the doorway of her classroom, waiting for Aizawa to be done with her so that she could hurry off to meet Amajiki. She was trying to be respectful but was having a hard time controlling her excitement. Aizawa could see that. He knew, though, that Halyn was probably one of his more responsible students and that, when push came to shove, she would remember what he had told her.

"Fine, then. Get going." he told her.

"Thanks, Aizawa-sensei, bye!"

With that, Halyn was rushing out of the door, her tail tip the last thing he saw vanish around the door frame. Aizawa heave a sigh because he was pretty sure that whatever hero ended up taking on Halyn, would have their hands full with her.

Halyn, on the other hand, couldn't get to the school gates fast enough. Amajiki was already waiting and was nearly blown over when Halyn, using all the speed she could muster in her legs, nearly blew right past him.

"Sorry I'm late, Amajiki-senpai! Aizawa-sensei wouldn't let me go until he reminded me of a couple of things." Halyn told him as she slid to a halt.

"You're fine, but did you have to run here?" he asked.

"Considering I don't want to make you late, yes."

Amajiki couldn't argue with her logic, so he simply lead the way. Halyn happily followed after him, smile on her face. He was grateful when she didn't force him to engage in small talk. The trip to the offices of the hero Amajiki worked with, was a quiet one, but at least it wasn't awkward. Halyn seemed content enough to leave him in peace. When they arrived at the offices, Halyn looked up at the building, and the name attached to it, and let out a low, "huh".

"So the pro you're doing your work study with, is Fatgum?" she asked.

"You asked me to introduce you to my work study pro without knowing that?" Amajiki answered with a question.

"Yeah, but it was either ask you or take a work study with either Endeavor or the Wild, Wild Pussycats." Halyn told him.

"And you didn't want to take either, why?"

"Well, for one, I wanted to network with heroes I don't know yet, for one. For two...while the Pussycats have been good to me, Pixie-Bob has this **thing** with my tail and she can never keep her hands to herself. As for Endeavor...yeah, that's really tricky to explain. Let's just say that it would be best if I avoid him for the time being." Halyn said.

"Did you anger him?" Amajiki asked.

"No, it's not that. Like I said it's tricky." Halyn replied, before insisting they get a move on.

Fatgum wasn't exactly what Halyn had been expecting. The big man constantly seemed to have food within reach and the moment he saw Halyn, he greeted her with a lot of cheer.

"Tamaki, who's your friend?" Fatgum asked.

"This is Leander Halyn. She's from Class 1-A at UA and has a provisional license." Amajiki said shortly.

"Oh, I've heard of ya. Ya shared third place in the Sports Festival and were the girl that was recently kidnapped by villains." Fatgum said.

"Yes, sir, that's me. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Halyn said, bowing in greeting.

"A first year and ya already have a license. I had heard that UA was going to attempt it. I'm glad to see some of you made it. So what is it ya want from me?" Fatgum asked.

"Sir, I asked Amajiki-senpai to introduce me to you today because I'm in search of a work study of my own. Work studies for the first years who passed, has been approved, but only for those offices with good track records with interns. If you would be so kind, sir, I would love to learn from you, please." Halyn said, bowing again.

"So polite. Remind me, what's your quirk?" Fatgum asked.

"It's called Assimilation, sir. It allows me to partially or fully assimilate another person's quirk into my being to use however and for however long I wish. With some limitations, of course." Halyn answered.

"And your name?"

"It's Leander Haly-"

"No, no. You're **name**." Fatgum insisted.

Halyn quickly figured out what he meant and, with a wide smile, she straightened her back.

"Fallout, sir. I am the Adapting Hero: Fallout."

Fatgum grinned when he saw the instant gleam of pride and determination in her eyes. He was sure that if Amajiki had agreed to bring her, that she must have some promise. And who was he to turn away promising youngsters?

"Alright then, Fallout. You're hired."

END

Kyandi: Before anyone asks, I put Halyn in a work study along side Kirishima because I haven't really had much interaction between the two.

Halyn: It should be interesting.

Kyandi: Yes, it shall. Not to mention that I just love Fatgum and Amajiki.

Halyn: If it was you, you would spend all the time teasing poor Amajiki-senpai.

Kyandi: ...I can't deny that. I probably would.

Halyn: Probably?

Kyandi: Okay, okay. Most definitely would.

Halyn: Better.

Kyandi: But could you blame me? He makes it too easy.

Halyn: How about we not be mean to Amajiki-senpai.

Kyandi: Oh, fine...for now. For the time being, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be right back.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	30. Hero Debut

Kyandi: We're back!

Halyn: She's working as fast as she can.

Kyandi: You know, I might be ambidextrous, but I never realized how much I relied on my right hand to do things. And then to had a busted keyboard to it...I'm growing annoyed.

Halyn: And it's so weird. You can't cut meat with your left hand, but you can't clean your glasses with your right.

Kyandi: I'm strange, sue me.

Halyn: I didn't say it was a bad thing. At least you can write and draw with both hands.

Kyandi: And cook. I would be screwed if I couldn't cook with both hands.

Halyn: True enough.

Kyandi: Anyway, we're going to move on. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 30 Hero Debut

The next day, Halyn felt like she was on cloud nine as she packed up her school bag after class. Today, she would meet up with Amajiki and head out for her first day of her work study. She couldn't wait for it.

"Damn, you really move fast, Leander." Kaminari whined.

"I've been thinking about this since Aizawa-sensei first told us about the work studies. I was already ready to pounce as soon as he gave the green light." Halyn replied. "Kirishima, how'd it go with Fourth Kind? You called him, right?"

Kirishima, who stood next to her desk, shrugged, a good-natured smile on his face despite his obvious disappointment. Halyn knew her answer before he ever gave it to her.

"Yeah, but he can't take me. I don't know what to do." Kirishima remarked.

"Just do what I did. Find an upperclassman in a work study and convince them to introduce you to their hero. You get to work with an upperclassman , which could help you later on, and you get to network with a new hero. It's a win-win, you know. And with your attitude and hard working nature, I'm sure you'll find someone, easy. Just...be persistent." Halyn suggested, picking up her bag to leave. "Anyway, I got to go. Best of luck."

Halyn bid her friends goodbye, heading for the door. On the way, she passed Mina and the girls fussing over Todoroki's bruised and battered face. He, along with Bakugo, was quite the colorful display after their supplementary lessons for their provisionals.

"Ha-chan!" Mina called, stopping Halyn just short of the classroom door. "Aren't you upset?! They ruined his handsome face!"

All of the girls turned to Halyn, who shrugged her shoulders. They didn't know if she thought her next words through or not, but it didn't shock the rest of her classmates any less.

"Not really. Shoto always looks good to me."

With that, Halyn left, throwing a quick, "Bye!" over her shoulder and waving to show she heard when Iida called after her to be careful. Todoroki blinked in a mix of surprise and questioning as all eyes turned to him. He hadn't expected Halyn's words anymore than the rest of them.

"What?" he asked.

"Dude, are you really that oblivious or do you just not realize what's in front of you?" Kaminari asked.

"Wouldn't that be the same thing?" Todoroki reasoned.

Kaminari groaned, slapping a hand to his face. Sometimes trying to get anything out Todoroki was just plain annoying. Just as annoying as just how dense he could be. Especially when Halyn was so transparent.

For a smart guy, he was really dumb sometimes.

-0-0-0-0-

The next day, Amajiki sent Halyn to Fatgum's office ahead of him. Since she was actually going to get to go out with Fatgum today, she rushed to the office and instantly went to change into her costume upon arriving. Stepping into the office, three sets of eyes turned to her, two of them blinking in shock.

Halyn, though, was focused on the third.

"Kirishima?" Halyn said, surprised.

"Hey, Leander! So this is who you're working with?" Kirishima asked, greeting her.

"Yeah. And you?"

"Same."

"Awesome! We haven't gotten the chance to work together before." Halyn said, giving Kirishima a high five, a wide grin on her face.

"Yeah, well you're always following Todoroki." Kirishima remarked.

"And you're always following Ka-chan, and we all know those two go together as well as water and oil." Halyn agreed, Kirishima laughing in agreement.

"Yeah." he agreed.

"So you're the one that advised him to come to me?" Amajiki asked.

"That aside...what is with that costume?!" Fatgum asked, pointing at Halyn and not giving her the chance to answer Amajiki.

Halyn looked down at herself, pulling the front of her hoodie open to look past it at all of her exposed skin beneath. When she looked up, there was a sheepish look on her face as she smiled at the hero before her.

"Because of my quirk, it's a necessary evil, sir." she told him. "This is actually my costume's second design. Believe me when I say...this one covers more."

Halyn watched as Fatgum and Amajiki both looked at her, their heads tilting to one side. They're expressions said it all...they couldn't possibly see her being able to cover less and managing to get that past the restrictions put on costumes.

"Right...well, I was able to take yesterday to explain things to you, Fallout, but I need to patrol today so you're going to learn on the go, kid." Fatgum said, pulling his eyes from Halyn to look at Kirishima.

"Sounds good." Kirishima said.

"Then let's go." Fatgum ordered.

The two first years grinned at each other as they followed Fatgum and Amajiki out to the crowded streets. Halyn walked along side Kirishima as they moved through the streets, Fatgum snacking and talking as they went.

"These days all the hoodlums and delinquents have been getting into so many fights! I can't help it if I'm hungry, ya know!" Fatgum said. "Anyway, the hero office here doesn't really like to take up arms. You're in the right place, Red Riot! You too, Fallout!"

"Lookin' forward to it!" Kirishima exclaimed. "Even though Fourth Kind wouldn't take me, I'm grateful you accepted me instead!"

"If only you had followed Mirio...the way you came after me so forcefully was scary." Amajiki remarked.

"Sorry about that. Leander advised me to be persistent." Kirishima explained.

Amajiki turned wide, horrified eyes on Halyn, his eyes silently asking, "Why?!". Halyn held her hands before her face, palms pressed together in a pleading way, and bowed her head, a sheepish look on her face.

"I'm so sorry, Amajiki-senpai! I didn't know he was going to go to you." she told him.

"Tamaki, we've got to do something about that cruddy mentality of yours. You've got so much talent too!" Fatgum remarked.

"That kind of pressure will only bring me down further." Amajiki said, gripping his chest like he had just taken a blow there. "It's always like this! The only reason he scouted me was so he could torment me! This is workplace harassment! I want to go home!"

Amajiki buried his face in his hands, trying to hide. Halyn patted him on the shoulder, trying to coax him out of hiding his face. Not that he was listening to her, nor would he let her talk him into showing his face once more.

"No! It sounds to me like he's trying to encourage you!" Kirishima told him.

"I can't become one of those bright-eyed, optimistic types like the two of you and Mirio." Amajiki told Kirishima, Halyn finally managing to get him to come out from behind his hands.

"I'm not like that either. Its just that there have been so many times when everyone was desperate, but I wasn't able to do anything. After seeing the difference in ability and experience between me and the people in my class, between me and Leander, at the very least I want to be able to stand among them. I want to close the gap!" Kirishima replied.

"That's the very definition of optimistic, you first year!" Amajiki snapped.

Halyn laughing drew the two boys' attention to her as she smiled brightly. Seeing their looks of questioning, she explained.

"You think I'm optimistic? Well...you're probably not wrong. I have high hopes for the future, but not because I'm hoping everything will always magically turn out for the better." Halyn said, her eyes scanning those around them on the crowded street. When two children out with their mothers waved, Halyn gave them a bright smile and waved back. "I have high hopes because I've seen, time and again, just how bright that light will shine in the dark when one works hard enough. I have high hopes for the future because I work hard towards that goal. That's not blind optimism, Amajiki-senpai. It's just logical. And there's is no gap between us, Kirishima. We each have our strengths, no two people are the same. Just as I'm strong in my strengths, which you may not have, you are strong in your own, which I may not have."

Halyn offered Amajiki and Kirishima a wide smile. Kirishima scratched at a cheek while Amajiki looked away from her in embarrassment. Leave it to Halyn to embarrass them both with a smile on her face while she did.

The moment was ruined, then, as a cry for help sounded over the crowd. Turning, the four saw four men booking it through the crowd, looking back over their shoulders. They really should have been looking forward. If they had, they might have avoided running smack dab into Fatgum's stomach. Fatgum was able to capture three of the four but the fourth possessed a quirk like Edgeshot's and managed to slip past Fatgum.

Not that he could avoid Amajiki's quirk.

Transforming his fingers into octopus tentacles, Amajiki took the man by surprise. Transforming his other hand into a clam, Halyn winced as he gave the criminal a solid smack across the face. She was pretty sure that that had given the man's brain a good rattling.

"Clams are quite handy, huh...good for both offense and defense. And that's why I try to eat them every day." Amajiki said, sprouting wings and growing bird-like feet. "I did not need the wings though."

"That was awesome, senpai!" Halyn praised.

"Did I...do a good job?" Amajiki asked shyly.

"Like Leander said, you were awesome! You were so quick to make use of your quirk too." Kirishima added.

"If we're talking about ability alone, Sun Eater's already outclassing most pros! He just needs mental training!" Fatgum said.

Halyn couldn't help but hide a smile and low laugh behind a hand when all Amajiki did was sit there and shake at the sight of the crowd they had gathered. She had never met someone as shy as him. It was actually a little adorable. Her laughter, though, didn't last long.

After years of living with her brothers and their cat-like instincts, she had picked up on her own instincts and, normally, when those instincts sent chills down her spine, they were usually right. She had learned not to ignore them. So when Fatgum yelled, "Oh no, get down!", she hit the deck faster than anyone else in the area. She barely missed a bullet to the back. Instead, Amajiki took the shot to his left bicep.

Spinning, while still remaining close to the ground, Halyn grabbed the back of Kirishima's belt as her eyes located the shooter in the crowd. She yanked, pulling Kirishima back, trying to save him from the second bullet fired. Thankfully, with the second bought for him by Halyn's quick thinking, Kirishima was able to harden his skin fast enough for the bullet to bounce off him. Halyn then found that gun pointed at her.

"Sun Eater! Red Riot, Fallout!" Fatgum called just as the sound of another shot, rang through the air.

Her muscles already coiled and ready to jump, Halyn launched herself directly into the air, the bullet missing. She landed on all fours, the fur along her tail, puffed out and a growl rumbling from deep in her chest. So this was how it was going to be, huh? Just how crazy did a person have to be to fire off a gun in a crowd like this? Not only had he shot two semi-pros, he could have hit a civilian.

"Lea...Fallout! Get him!" Kirishima yelled.

Halyn moved without really stopping to think it through. Moving like a cat just launched from a rocket launcher, Halyn took off, easily weaving her way through the crowd as she chased the man, Kirishima following hot on her heels. Halyn would have just teleported in front of the man, but she was sure that if she did that, she would get shot in the face. She needed to make sure he didn't have the gun on him anymore.

"Wait, don't rush! If you blindly go after your prey you're just gonna get bitten!" Fatgum yelled. "Sun Eater, if you're okay, I'll leave this area to you! Other heroes should be here soon. Join up with them!"

Halyn was too far off to hear him. Her eyes were set on the criminal, Kirishima following the white ribbon tied to her tail like a flag. Sliding around corners, chasing the man as he tried to lose them in a maze of back allies, Kirishima grew more and more thankful for that ribbon tied to Halyn's tail. It was a like a flag waving and saying, "Here I am, follow me.".

By the time Halyn had drawn close enough to hear the man, Kirishima had finally caught up, the two now running side by side.

"Get away! I said don' follow me!" the man yelled back at them.

"No, you quit running! At the very least if you're gonna help your friends, see it through to the end!" Kirishima yelled back.

"'Da hell ya even gettin' mad about?"

Halyn had to admit...the man had a point.

"Shooting someone, then only you gettin' scared and running...is fucking unmanly!" Kirishima yelled as they finally ran the man into a dead end. "It's a dead end! Give it up!"

Halyn, who was just inches ahead of Kirishima, had to react quickly, letting her knees buckle so that she dropped towards the ground as the man rounded on them, blades sprouting from his arm to give him a weapon to attack with. The blades sailed over Halyn's head, bouncing off Kirishima's hardened skin as the boy pulled back a fist, standing protectively over Halyn. The punch he landed on the criminal, sent the man flying backwards, but it was Halyn springing forward with a follow-up kick, that planted him on his face.

"The debt's been repaid! Now just sit there quietly, damn gunner bastard!" Kirishima snapped.

"You know, when you get angry, you can sound a bit like Ka-chan." Halyn remarked, getting to her feet.

"You think?" Kirishima asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Tearful crying had both of them turning to the criminal then, both blinking in surprise as they looked down at the man on the ground.

"Is he...?"

"He's crying." Kirishima said, finishing Halyn's sentence.

"It's not fair...I only pop out 10 cm or shorter blades ya know. That's like a cutter knife...so unfair. I jus' wanted ta save mah friends. I'm so stupid! But it's so scary...! Yeh should praise me for bein' brave enough to pull the trigger!" the man whined.

"You're kidding, right?" Halyn asked, hands on her hips.

"No way! If you're gonna cry like a scared little baby, then don't be their accomplice in crime!" Kirishima scolded.

When all the man did was continue to cry, Halyn and Kirishima each seized one of his arms and pulled him to his feet. Halyn couldn't believe someone like this even had the guts to pull a trigger.

"I jus' wanted...ta be strong...If I stay 'round strong people...I thought I could be strong." he cried.

"...Well, I get where you're coming from." Kirishima remarked, looking at Halyn.

Halyn lifted her shoulders in a shrug. Jerking her head to the side, she silently let Kirishima know that she was going to go back and get Fatgum. Kirishima gave her a nod before turning back to the man. Halyn, though, didn't make it more than three steps from them before something caught her eye. Turning, she saw the man pull some kind of injection pen from his sleeve.

"Red Riot!" she called in warning just before the man injected whatever was in the pen, into his neck.

"If I hang wit' mah friends, they'll give me power. People who can be heroes shouldn't thoughtlessly talk like they understand." the man said before screaming like he was in pain.

"What did you do?! Hey! What was that shot?! You okay?!" Kirishima asked.

And then, just as soon as he started screaming, he stopped. Halyn had a bad feeling about that and she was quickly proven right. In the next moment, blades rocketed out of the man's body. Halyn threw herself over two bystanders, covering them as blades hit her back. Thankfully, aside from three that managed to find exposed skin, most made contact with the material of her hoodie and were unable to cut through. One of the three that had hit skin had embedded itself in the exposed part of her shoulder and the other two had gotten the exposed parts of her thighs.

Thankfully, the two people she covered, were left untouched and Kirishima had managed to get away with only damage to his costume. That was a relief for Halyn. Especially since she knew that the wounds from the three blades would heal as soon as she got the blades out of her skin. For now, she had a different concern.

A power up like this...Halyn had seen reports on drugs that gave weak quirks a strong boost. A lot of them had big recoils and some weren't even all that strong. But this...just seeing the kind of boost this drug had given this man's quirk, Halyn knew that if the drug actually got out on the black market, it would spell horror for world. She hoped it was an inferior brand that had a short effect period.

That being said, she could only deal with the problem directly before her for the time being.

"Hey, Fallout! You okay?!" Kirishima called.

"Yeah, I'm good. We need to clear the area." Halyn called back, ushering the two she had covered into moving.

"Right! Fall back, everyone! Go someplace this guy's blades won't reach yo-"

"Behind you!"

Halyn yelling at him had Kirishima turning as more blades rocketed towards him. These actually managed to do some damage. Halyn got the three blades that had hit her, free and instantly headed for Kirishima's side, crouching next to him to check on him. Seeing the nicks, she let out a curse in Italian. If the blades had managed to nick him, then that meant that they were sharper than he was hard. It didn't bode well if neither of them could get close.

While Halyn could, of course, heal from his attacks and she wouldn't feel the pain, but her healing quirk could only go so far and then it would only take a blade nicking the wrong vein or organ and she would be done for.

"This isn't good." Halyn said lowly.

"Yeah, I know." Kirishima agreed.

"You were so **conceited** , ya goddamn brats! This is what ya get for bein' so high and mighty about your precious justice! The boss, he told me, they're all saying how the age of heroes is gonna come crumblin' down soon!" the criminal exclaimed. "He said the age of outcast'll replace it, too! You won't believe what a high it is! So outta the way, ya snot-nosed punks! Cuz it looks like I **will** be able to save the gang, just like you said!"

Seeing those blades racing towards them, knowing that Kirishima's hardened skin wasn't enough to protect him while she could heal, Halyn's body did that annoying little self-thinking thing and in the next moment, she was standing before Kirishima, arms raised to protect her neck and head.

Kirishima's eyes widened as the blades hit their mark on Halyn, the force of their impact sending Halyn sliding back a few inches. Several found exposed skin, though it was thankfully no where fatal. Had she not extended her gloves to cover all the way to her biceps, Halyn was pretty sure that wouldn't have been the case.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Kirishima demanded from behind her.

"If he can nick you, then his blades are sharper than your skin is hard. I'll heal from these wounds...you won't." Halyn replied.

She staggered forward a step when the blades retracted, and sank to her knees, blood flowing from the already healing wounds. Kirishima was at her side in an instant, checking her wounds. Halyn assured him that she would be fine, but he knew that, just like he had a limit as to how long he could keep up the hardening of his skin, she had a finite amount of energy she could put into healing. She couldn't take too many hits like that and continue to heal without running all her energy down and she had already taken two hits for others.

He would have to take the next hit.

And sure enough, the blades came rocketing towards them again. Yanking Halyn, none too gently, behind him, Kirishima pushed his quirk to it's absolute pinnacle. When the blades hit, they met with a resistance too hard to break past and started pushing Kirishima backwards. Halyn, using Reborn Tiger to sprout claws, dug them into the ground and acted like a brace for Kirishima, keeping him from sliding any further back and closer to the people taking cover behind them.

Several of the blades snapped, causing the man to scream in pain, but at least Kirishima was unharmed. At least, she thought so until she heard the grating noise Kirishima's skin was making in this state. Which kind of made sense. To harden his skin to this level...Halyn couldn't imagine just how difficult it was for Kirishima to breathe, let alone move. But it gave her an idea.

Moving close to him so that only he could hear her, she told him her plan.

"If you can move long enough to draw his attention, I'm going to start getting these people out of here and out of the shops. Try to keep him from attacking the shops." she told him.

"Got it!" he replied before charging forward, yelling, "Look over here!".

Halyn rounded on her heels and headed for the nearest couple. Taking hold of the lady's arm, she turned them.

"You got to run, now! If you see any pros on the road, send them here! All of you, get moving!" Halyn ordered.

Still stunned by what was going on, they were a little slow to react, but Halyn got them moving, Kirishima continuing the fight behind her. Throwing open the doors of the nearest shops, Halyn started clearing the people out of them. When she had cleared the nearest shops, Halyn turned to look back at Kirishima who had managed to break through the man's blades, leaving him stunned and unable to react.

"Red Riot!"

Kirishima glanced back at Halyn, only catching sight of the firey tiger form of her super move, Igneous Tiger. He knew what she had planned. Timing it the best they could, both first years attacked at the same time, Kirishima landing a punch, Halyn landing a kick. The combined hit was enough to plant the guy on his back, coughing as he tried to draw air back into his abused lungs.

"Yeeeaahhhh!" Kirishima cheered, his skin returning to normal.

Halyn would have released her own sigh of relief, but the man pushed himself up into a sitting position, once again crying as he yelled at them to stay away from him. It had both first years wondering if the drug had worn off and that was why he was back to crying.

"I jus' wanted ta get stronger...! Please, let me go...! I'm jus' a sorry soul that wanted a little power!" the man cried.

"No can do. You shot our senpai." Kirishima told him. "I definitely understand how you feel...a while back, I-"

"Like I care about your story, dumbass!" the man shouted.

"Look out!" Halyn yelled, as the criminal used his blade to send himself rocketing right past Kirishima.

Halyn's heart felt like it dropped when she saw the same two children she had waved to earlier, now caught right in the man's path. Reacting as fast as she could, Halyn vanished in a flash of bolts and reappeared between the children. She barely had the time to scoop them up before she launched herself into the air, carrying the children with her and avoiding the man as he flew on past...and right into Fatgum's grip.

Halyn landed on her feet, the children gripping her tightly with little arms wrapped around her neck, but she was glad to see that neither had been hurt.

"Sorry for the wait!" Fatgum called. "When confronting an enemy! A villain's victory conditions are: "Kill!", "Escape!", "Beat up!", etc! As for us, it's just the one, "Capture without any victims!". Remember that before you leave, Red Riot, Fallout! To suppress villains, you gotta take away their will to fight, as quickly as possible!"

"Yes sir!" Halyn replied.

"You save me there." Kirishima told Fatgum.

"My baby!"

Halyn turned as the mothers of the two children came running towards her, tears in their eyes. Putting a reassuring smile on her face, Halyn met the mothers half way, handing over their children.

"They're a little spooked but they should be just fine." Halyn told the mothers as they hugged their children.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" one mother cried.

Halyn gave them both a bright smile.

"No need to thanks me, ma'am. It's all apart of a hero's job." Halyn replied before turning her attention to the children. Giving them a friendly smile, she bent to be on their eye level. "The next time you two hear a fight break out on the street like that, I want you two to promise me you'll stick close to your moms, okay? We don't want two adorable ones like you getting hurt, now do we?"

"We promise!" the two said together.

"Good! You two be good for your moms and make sure not to make them cry like that again." Halyn told the children, who agreed.

Halyn gave each of them a pat on the head and their mothers a smile. As the two women walked off with their children, Halyn waved to them, the children waving back as they called their thanks for her saving them.

"You're really good with kids, Leander." Kirishima remarked.

"It's easy when they see you as the hero that saved their lives." Halyn replied.

A man and woman approaching them then, drew Halyn and Kirishima's attention away from the departing mothers.

"Thanks a bunch kiddos! That was amazing! I've really seriously fallen for ya!" the man said, big grin on his face. "Ya were movin' ta keep him from attackin' us, right?! And ya were rushin' ta keep us safe! It's somethin' ya'll don't know unless ya watch heroes for a long time! Against dat kinda blade guy, ya normally get spooked! Ya both really saved us!"

"Dat was a magnificent debut...completely different from my debut." Fatgum told Kirishima and Halyn.

Halyn sheepishly scratched one cheek as several people praised them. Kirishima thanked them for the praise, Halyn giving them a bow of thanks. Once they had checked on everyone in the area and had handed over the criminal, they met back up with Amajiki and Halyn and Kirishima shared with Fatgum about the drug the man had used.

"A quirk power up, huh...Dat kinda drug is da kind that's banned in Japan." Fatgum said.

"My brothers once had to deal with a gang that was importing and selling those kinds of drugs. From what they told me of them, given the short effect duration of this one, it has to be a type from Asia. If it was the type from Africa, then it would have lasted longer. If I remember right, that type has an effect duration of two hours." Halyn remarked.

"Right ya are!" Fatgum told her. "A while back I worked with da cops an' we were always catchin' crooks like dat."

"Fat!" The four turned as a police officer ran up to them. "There was a discharge, even though it was just a handgun! It broke into pieces because of his quirk! There was no bullet. But this isn't usual heat he was packin'. For starters, we'll check out a few things and report back!"

"Ah, I see...thanks and sorry for the trouble." Fatgum told the officer.

Halyn stared at the evidence bag in the officer's hand as he walked away. While she did that, caught deep in thought, Kirishima turned to Amajiki.

"Senpai, are you okay?" Kirishima asked.

"Such a bitter pill." Amajiki said, pulling the hood of his costume down as far as he could over his face, completely hiding it from view. "It's such a poor showing...for a hero's quirk to not work."

Halyn snapped out of her thoughts when she heard this.

"But more importantly...you two had to cover for me. You're the same as Mirio...you are another two of those that shines bright like the sun..." Amajiki said.

"If you're gonna say stuff like that, then the senpai who invited me here shines just as much!" Kirishima told him.

"Yeah, that...you...you're also unbelievable." Amajiki replied.

"Senpai, rather it's the sun during the day, or the moon during the night, they both shine brightly. If you want to claim that Togata-senpai is like the sun, then you are like the moon. You shine brightly in the dark when even the stars can't lend light to the world below. Personally...I would rather be the moon than the sun."

Amajiki peeked out from under his hood at Halyn, the girl giving him a smile. Reaching out, she laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring pat.

"You can't blame yourself for your quirk not working, so don't beat yourself up over it, alright?" she told him.

Amajiki couldn't really argue with her when she gave him that smile. It was like the girl knew exactly what to say and do to make a person give up on arguing.

"She's right, Tamaki. Let's have 'em examine ya at the hospital. I've also got some things I wanna look into. For starters, let's head back to the office." Fatgum said, the three agreeing with him. Fatgum turned to Halyn then, taking in the blood on her skin. "Ya sure you're fine, Fallout?"

"Yes, sir. I have a healing quirk fully assimilated. All the wounds are already healed." Halyn told him.

"Good. Then let's get movin'!"

-0-0-0-0-

The next morning, Halyn and Kirishima's names were all over the news.

The moment they arrived in the classroom, their classmates were all over them, Bakugo gritting his teeth in the background. It was his own fault he had failed and couldn't take part in the work studies.

"Hey, Kirishima! Leander! Your names! Your hero names are on the news all over the internet! You're really on here, that's awesome!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"Tsuyuuu, Urarakaaa, it's amazing! Your names came up too!" Mina declared.

"Ooohh! I'm so happy! We're really there!" Uraraka cheered.

"I wonder where they took the picture." Asui remarked, peering at the article on the phone screen.

"Isn't that great! You might even have fans already like Mt. Lady!" Mina said.

"I don't know...I didn't really do anything to deserve an article."

All of the girls turned to Halyn who was looking at the article about her and Kirishima. There were two pictures attached to the article and one showed Halyn as she was passing the two children she had saved, back to their mothers.

"Don't be so modest, Ha-chan! You did great!" Mina told her.

"I should have gotten the bystanders out of there quicker. As it was, we were lucky that no one else was hurt." Halyn replied. "I was just glad I was able to get those children out of the way. Kirishima, though, was awesome."

Kirishima grinned sheepishly at Halyn's compliment.

"Provisional license notwithstanding, once you enter the city you're another hero...you've rendered a splendid service!" Iida said from his seat. "However, studies are the true duty of a student! Sleeping in class is not allowed!"

"You are right Iida! That's where we show our resolution! Right?!" Kirishima cheered.

"Yeah!" Midoriya agreed.

"Right, Leander?!" Kirishima asked.

"Sorry, but I'm not a rambunctious cheerer this early in the morning." Halyn replied, smiling as Kirishima just moved on to the next person.

"And you were sayin' your studies are crap. You sure you're okay?" Kaminari asked Kirishima.

"Sensei said he'd prepare supplementary lessons and Leander promised to help me with studying." Kirishima said.

"You sure you can handle all of that, Leander? Your work study, your own studies, and helping Kirishima with his?" Iida asked.

"Yeah, I should be fine. Kirishima's not that bad so it won't be like I'll have my plate full. Besides...we're partners right now and partners have to help each other." Halyn said.

Grinning, Kirishima gave her a fist bump. He knew Halyn would have his back, just like she had during their fight with the bladed criminal the night before.

"Oh, what? You two buddies now?" Bakugo growled.

"You know, Ka-chan, jealousy isn't a good look for you. Green never was your color." Halyn replied.

This only made Bakugo glare at her. Not that it bothered Halyn much. For the rest of the day, though, Bakugo seemed to be in a bad mood, which wasn't much didn't from every other day. Halyn pretty much ignored it since it was kind of his own fault.

After school, Halyn held a study session with Kirishima, since they had been ordered to take the day off by Fatgum. After going over homework with him and making sure he had the material from the day covered, she headed back to her room. When she came down the hall towards her room, she found Todoroki leaning against the wall beside her door.

"Oh, hey, Shoto. Something up?" she asked as she neared the door.

"No. Does something have to be up for me to come by?" Todoroki asked as she opened her door.

"No, but it usually is. Want to come in?"

Halyn pulled the door open, letting him head in. Todoroki was greeted by Salvatore, the cat weaving between his legs in greeting, while Halyn pulled her door shut. Taking a seat at the little table in the middle of her room, Todoroki gave the cat's chin a scratch while Halyn got them tea and cookies. He watched her as she moved about her room, coming back to the table with a tray holding the teacups, teapot, and a bowl of cookies. She took a seat next to him and poured him a cup of tea.

"What's on your mind, Shoto? I've been watching you long enough to know when you're wrapped up in your thoughts." Halyn said, giving him a smile as she sat back into a pillow.

Shoto watched as Salvatore jumped over him to claim a spot in his mistress's lap. Halyn idly pet the cat, her purple eyes set on Todoroki's face. When she tilted her head to one side, a smile curling her lips, Todoroki found himself speaking without thinking.

"You took an attack for Kirishima." Todoroki said.

"I did."

Halyn almost laughed out loud when his eyes went to work scanning her body for injuries. In the cut-off jean shorts and halter top, the only thing he could see were the scars on her thighs and just a little sliver of the burn scar on her side where her top didn't quite reach down to her shorts. There was not a single trace on her of any other wounds.

"Find anything?" Halyn asked cheekily as she took a drink of her tea.

Todoroki raised his eyes to her face as she tried to hide a grin behind her teacup.

"You do realize your healing quirk has a finite limit, right?" he asked her.

"I do. And **you** do realize that if we went up against someone who can cut through Kirishima's hardened skin but not my reinforced costume material, and there's no way to avoid the attack, then me taking the attack is the better option, right?" she replied.

He couldn't say no, but he also couldn't say yes. While, yes, Halyn could, and did, heal, Todoroki didn't like the idea of Halyn willingly taking an attack like that. It was bad enough that the girl didn't have the sense of pain like normal people that warned her when her body was taking too much damage.

"You really shouldn't worry, Shoto. I'm well aware of my limits and both I and Kirishima, came back in one piece without a scratch on us. Don't you trust Kirishima to have my back? He's a very dependable friend." Halyn told him.

Did he not trust Kirishima?

No, that wasn't it.

If Todoroki could have his way about it, **he** would be the one out there covering her back instead of having to rely on Kirishima to keep an eye out for her. But he couldn't have his way and he had to rely on Halyn to defend herself and Kirishima to have her back when that became difficult for her to do.

Laughter drew his attention back to Halyn. He found her grinning widely, her tail curling behind her. She sat her teacup down and focused her attention back on him.

"I'm serious, Shoto. You don't have to worry about me. Between Fatgum, Amajiki-senpai, and Kirishima, my back is fully covered. I assure you, I'll be just fine. And since everything that went down over summer break, I guarantee you, I'm being more careful than ever." Halyn promised him.

"You promise?"

"I promise." Leaning towards him, Halyn planted an innocent, chaste kiss on his cheek, giving him a smile when she pulled back. "Don't worry so much, Shoto. I highly doubt I'm going to get wrapped up into anything too big."

If only she had known she had just jinxed herself.

END

Kyandi: I absolutely just love writing moments between you and Todoroki.

Halyn: I've noticed.

Kyandi: You two are just too cute.

Halyn: If you say so.

Kyandi: I do. Anyway, I'm sleepy and want to get the next chapter started before I fall asleep.

Halyn: Wrap up time?

Kyandi: Yep. Everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back as soon as we can.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	31. Mission Rescue Eri

Kyandi: And we're back.

Halyn: After this chapter, it might take a while to get another out.

Kyandi: My hand is feeling better now, though. The swelling in the index finger has gone done.

Halyn: Hopefully, she'll be back to normal soon.

Kyandi: God, I hope so. This really is frustrating.

Halyn: I bet. I'm glad you gave me a healing quirk.

Kyandi: It would come in handy if you were accident prone like me.

Halyn: I kind of am.

Kyandi: Not everyday. Anyhow, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 31 Mission Rescue Eri

A few days later, Halyn and Kirishima received a call from Fatgum to head out first thing in the morning. Halyn met Kirishima downstairs, her bag slung over one shoulder. She had no sooner joined him before Midoriya came out the door behind her.

"Oh?! Midoriya! Morning! You're going today too?! What a coincidence!" Kirishima greeted, Halyn turning to greet Midoriya with a smile.

"I haven't been called for a while, but today they finally did. They told me I don't need my costume though." Midoriya said.

"Eh?! Good morning!" The three turned as Uraraka and Asui came out the doors to the dorm too. "You three are also today?!"

"Yep. Shoto gave me quite the unusual look when I told him I was heading out today." Halyn remarked as the five of them started for the front gate.

"Unusual how?" Uraraka asked.

"I couldn't tell if he was glaring at me or trying to preform some kind of Jedi mind trick to get me to stay." Halyn answered.

Her four friends chuckled, but Halyn had only been half joking. Todoroki's glare had been intense and she swore she could feel the stare the whole way down the hall.

When they reached the gates, they came across a hero there.

"Going to the station? I'll see you off!" he told them.

The five high schoolers thanked the man. When they arrived at the station, they found out quick that all five of them were heading the same way. Getting on the same train, the five all claimed seats together, pulling their bags into their laps.

"Everyone's got the same station?! That really is a coincidence." Midoriya said.

"You know, I'm starting to think that this isn't such a coincidence." Halyn replied.

She was proven right when, after getting off the train, they found that they were all heading to the same place, meeting up with Amajiki, Mirio, and Hadou along the way. When they arrived where they were suppose to be going, they found, not only the heroes the five of them were working with, but the likes of Aizawa and Gran Torino, as well.

None of their heroes would tell them what was up, though that was soon answered when Midoriya's hero, Nighteye, took over the meeting.

"Thanks to all of the information you supplied, the investigation has progressed considerably. The small yakuza organization, the Eightfold Cleansers...what exactly are they plotting? Along with the sharing of acquired information, I would like to consult with you all today. I will explain this step-by-step." Nighteye announced.

Halyn let herself be dragged behind Uraraka and Asui as they approached Aizawa.

"Why are you here? They just suddenly called me." Asui said.

"I was asked to join, so I came. It was brief, but I've heard about the situation. I also have a few things to say as well." Aizawa told them.

"I'm a little outta the loop here...Eightfold? What's that?" Kirishima asked Fatgum.

"I'm curious too. And please...no one give me the whole "curiosity killed the cat" thing." Halyn added in.

"They've probably been thinkin' up somethin' terrible, so it's time for everybody to talk it out. You've also got quite da connection with 'em." Fatgum told them.

Before Halyn could try to weasel more information out of Fatgum or Aizawa, Fatgum ushered her along ahead of him and into the meeting hall. She found herself seated between Kirishima and Fatgum as Nighteye's sidekick, Bubble Girl, started things off.

"Since about two weeks prior, we at the Nighteye Offices have been independently observing...a certain villain group...known as the Eightfold Cleansers!" Bubble Girl told them.

"What was the hook?" asked one of the local heroes present.

"There was an accident involving a thief gang known as the Reservoir Dogs. The police cleaned everything up as just an accident, but there were many points that made no sense and we began to track them." Bubble Girl answered.

"I am a sidekick, Centipeder. I have been conducting the tracking and observation as per the instructions put forth by Nighteye." another of Nighteye's sidekicks said, stepping forward. "Within this one-year period that I have been investigating, there has been a rapid increase in contact, both between members of the underground organization, as well as people outside of the group. They appear to be an organization moving with the intent to expand and accumulate funds. Also, shortly after the commencement of investigation, he made contact with one Bubaigawara Gin. Villain name, "Twice"."

Halyn perked up at this, her attention snagged by the villains name. Kirishima could practically feel her tense up next to him and turned to her.

"Leander?" he asked lowly.

"Twice was the name of one of the villains that came after Bakugo and I." Halyn replied back lowly before turning her attention back to Centipeder.

"They were particularly cautious of being followed and I was unable to continue tracking them, but there I was able to cooperate with the police. They were able to confirm that during this meeting some kind of skirmish had occurred." Centipeder told them.

"So it's related to the villain alliance...that's why you called me and Tsukauchi." Gran Torino said from his seat.

"And where is Tsukauchi?" another hero asked.

"There was other information from witnesses, so he's checking on that." Gran Torino said before turning his eyes to Midoriya. "Listen, boy. I never thought it would come to this...you've been dragged into quite an annoying situation."

"I don't think any part of this is "annoying"!" Midoriya insisted.

"Continuing on." Nighteye said, giving Bubble Girl cue to continue.

"Uhhh, we have this kind of process! We wanted to request everyone's cooperation on HN." Bubble Girl said.

"HN?" Uraraka asked.

"I believe it's short for Hero Network." Halyn answered.

"She's right! It's an internet service that only people with a pro license can use. They say you can see activity reports and apply for help from heroes with useful quirks nationwide!" Hadou explained.

"Hey, even if they're UA students, what's with the brats? Can't talk with them around." This came from another local hero by the name of Rock Lock. "We're burnin' daylight just getting to the real issue of what they're plotting."

Halyn ducked, avoiding Fatgum's out-swinging arm as he flew to his feet, his chair rocketing backwards. She really didn't feel like getting hit across the face that morning.

"Enough outta of you-these three 'ere are super important witnesses!" Fatgum declared.

"The three...of us?" Kirishima asked.

"Enthusiasm...smothering..." Amajiki muttered lowly.

"Now really isn't the time, Amajiki-senpai. Chin up." Halyn told her upperclassman.

"Besides, I think there's a **ton** o' people who're meetin' for the first time so better get to it! The name's Fatgum, pleasure to meet y'all!" Fatgum said, offering candy with his greeting.

Halyn heaved a sigh. While she like Fatgum's cheerfulness, there was a time and place for everything and this wasn't it.

"We have reason to believe that the Eightfold Cleansers have made the dispersal of unlicensed goods part of their livelihood. As such I have requested help from heroes familiar with that line of work." Nighteye explained.

"Long ago we smashed those kinda things to pieces! Then, in Red Riot's and Fallout's debut battle! Tamaki was shot by somethin' new, the likes we ain't never seen! A drug that erases quirks." Fatgum declared.

"What?! Tamaki, you're okay, right?!" Mirio asked, looking at his friend.

"Yeah...after sleeping it came back. Just look at this splendid cow hoof." Amajiki said, his hand transforming into that of a cow's hoof.

Halyn reached around Kirishima, laying a hand on the hoof. Slowly, she made him lower the hoof out of sight.

"It's really lovely, senpai, but let's put the hoof away for now, okay?" she asked sweetly.

"If it recovers, no need to worry. Nothin' fatal." Rock Lock said.

"No...I'll leave that explanation to Eraserhead." Nighteye said.

"It's a bit different from my erasure. That's because I'm not attacking the quirk itself. A special mechanism, "plus alpha", is added to a basic human body. That is a quirk. These "plus alpha" are collectively called the "Quirk Factor". Ultimately, I can only temporarily halt that Quirk Factor. I can't cause damage to it." Aizawa explained.

"Right after Tamaki got shot we took him to the hospital to get a look-see. That Quirk Factor had taken damage! Luckily, it recovered naturally and has returned to normal now." Fatgum added. "And the analysis of the thing he was shot with? There were no other abnormalities in Tamaki's body! It was only, and I mean only, the quirk that was attacked! Not a peep from the gang that shot 'im! The gun's in pieces too! Plus they didn't have no other bullets in their possession 'sides the one they fired! However, thanks to Kirishima riskin' 'is life to deflect the bullet, we were able ta obtain da contents of that one shot!"

It took it a moment to sink into Kirishima's head what Fatgum said and when it did, he reacted with shock.

"Wha-I did?! That came outta nowhere!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"As for what was inside...something truly sickening came out. It contained human blood, and human cells." Fatgum said.

Halyn's eyes widened as she looked up at Fatgum. Human blood and cells? That could only mean one thing and it wasn't good. In fact, it was a disturbing thought indeed.

"If that was inside...then it was derived from a person's quirk." Halyn remarked.

"She's right. And a it's a quirk to destroy other quirks."

This agreement came from the hero that Uraraka and Asui was working with. A female hero by the name Ryuukyuu.

"Uhhh...I'm afraid I've not really been seeing it for a while now but how is this linked to the Cleansers exactly?" asked another of the local heroes present.

"The guy Kirishima and Leander captured! And the illegal substance he was usin'. That drug's distribution web's real complicated. It's gotten curtailed heavily nowadays, but it's sold wholesale across all levels by many different people, groups and organizations. And now we can finally reach the source of it all! There's no evidence the Cleansers themselves are dealing the stuff but there's been contact between them and a middleman organization selling it." Fatgum explained.

"That's it!?" came a cry of outrage.

"Recall the clash between villain groups that Ryuukyuu and her team cleaned up a few days ago. The boss of one of those gangs was with one of those middleman groups." Nighteye said.

"One of the villains who gigantified only maintained it for a short while. They must have been inferior goods." Ryuukyuu remarked.

"I guess that of the acts of organized crime that have been on the rise lately, the lion's share...seem to be traceable back to the Eightfold Cleansers if you think about them in that light." another hero remarked. "The connection's still a little hazy, though. It can maybe be construed that we're twisting things to make the Cleansers the culprits at any cost. I wonder if there's anything more conclusive to clinch the link?"

"The quirk of the capo, Chisaki, is named "Overhaul". It's a power that can disassemble and reassemble any target. A quirk that can dismantle...to destroy and repair at once. That, along with the bullets that can destroy quirks. Chisaki has a daughter...though one without a birth certificate, so the particulars aren't clear. When these two encountered her her arms and legs were wrapped in a great many bandages." Nighteye told them.

Halyn suddenly got a very sickening feeling in the pit of her gut. The evidence that Nighteye was presenting them with, basically told them that Chisaki was using his quirk on his daughter. That he was hurting her, over and over again. The thought made Halyn's stomach turn.

"It can't be...to do something so hideous..." Ryuukyuu uttered in disgust and disbelief.

"Whaddya expect of this world of super humans? All it takes is the thought and any son of a bitch can do anything." Gran Torino replied.

"What, are you all talking about...!?" Kirishima demanded.

"See?" Rock Lock said, looking at Kirishima. "We don't need any damn kids around. Slow on the uptake much?"

"Kirishima," Kirishima turned to look at Halyn whose expression was grim. "They mean that they're more than likely making the bullets from the little girl's body."

Kirishima stared at Halyn, his eyes wide in horror. The mere idea made Halyn feel like being sick, but she swallowed it back.

"We don't know if they're trafficking them for profit. At their current stage of development, they're not very close to completion. Be that as it may, if, hypothetically, they were using them as a testing phase and using them as a samples for presentations to gather comrades, there's no definitive proof. However say they gathered allies all across the country and amassed the funds...what if the completed bullets could take quirks themselves and completely eradicate them...? Many dark, dark ideas spring to one's mind." Nighteye said.

"Just imaginin' it's gonna make my bowels seethe with rage! C'mon, we gotta search their hideout!" Fatgum declared.

"So you're saying that if these dudes had been able to take the girl under protection, then this whole problem would've been resolved right then and there?!" Rock Lock asked, gesturing to Mirio and Midoriya.

"I take responsibility for all of it, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't put the blame on them. Even though they didn't know about her predicament, they both tried their best to save her." Nighteye replied. From the looks on Mirio's and Midoriya's faces, Halyn ventured a guess that they didn't quite agree with that. "The ones who are most frustrated here and now...are these two."

Halyn blinked in surprise when both Mirio and Midoriya flew to their feet, their chairs clattering against the floor as they rocketed back.

"We won't fail you this time, Eri!" Midoriya declared.

"We'll protect her!" both said as one.

"Yes, and that will be our goal." Nighteye agreed.

"Tch. It's fine and all that the kid's alive, but if one were to guess, the boss would want to hide the girl, who is the core component to his plan, right? And after all that trouble, she somehow makes it outside! And on top of that, to be spotted by these little brat heroes! Do you think he'd honestly keep her tucked away at the headquarters after all that? If it were me, I wouldn't. Because even if we were to attack, as long as the girl isn't there, then it doesn't matter. Have we been able to specify her exact whereabouts?" Rock Lock asked.

"He's right. What do you think, Nighteye?" Ryuukyuu asked.

"That's exactly the problem. We don't know how far ahead he's planned. If we don't finish them with one blow, they'll probably get the chance they need to launch a counterattack. And so, we've looked at groups and organizations that have ties to the precepts, as well as all of the known locations under the precepts control. We've left no stone unturned coming up with this list. We'd like everyone here to assist in searching each of these locations. Let's find the location and wring it out!" Nighteye declared.

"I see, and that is how us minor heroes come into play. Look. The heroes who are present are clearly tied to the list somehow! They've selected people who have familiarity with the area." one hero remarked.

"You were All Might's sidekick, weren't you? You've been awfully thorough tiptoeing about! All the while, that Eri-chan girl has probably been crying this whole time!" Fatgum yelled, turning on Nighteye.

"We will not become like All Might! It's for that reason that we've so thoroughly analyzed and predicted the possible scenarios. So that we could bring our chances of saving her as close to 100% as possible!" Nighteye replied.

"We mustn't lose our cool. If we make a misstep trying to capture them, it could just end up fanning the flames. Just like how Stain's arrest performance only ended up in a giant PR boost for the League of Villains." Gran Torino insisted. "This time, with a single hoodlum trying to release some quirk-destroying weapon. It's possible that those motives are at play as well."

"You're over thinking it! If we spend all this time talking about things like that, they're going to slip through our fingers!" Fatgum yelled.

"And to counter that is why **she's** here." All attention turned back to Nighteye, wondering who he was referring to. They got their answer soon enough. "Leander Halyn."

"Y-yes, sir?" Halyn straightened up when he called her name, his eyes landing on her and drawing all attention to her.

"You possess the quirk Assimilation that allows you to assimilate other's quirks and even fully steal them, as well as a permanently assimilated quirk that allows you to teleport from one location to another, correct?" Nighteye asked.

Halyn got a bad feeling in her stomach.

"Yes, sir, I do." she answered.

"Good. Then, regardless of which hideout he's in, once Chisaki is located...I want you to teleport in and fully take his quirk from him. Regardless of how this plays out, I do not want him to leave with his quirk."

And there went her stomach.

All four of her classmates could tell that the color was draining from her face as she contemplated it. Not only was it a horrible reminder of two of the worst times in her life, they knew there was a big difference in being able to partially assimilate quirks and fully assimilating them. The latter caused her a great deal more of pain. Aizawa took one look at her face and was instantly on his feet.

"Not a chance, Nighteye. Leander has a limit to the amount of quirks she can fully assimilate and she's already well past that. To take in another one causes severe pain and shock to her internal systems. She can't do i-"

"It's alright, sensei."

Aizawa cut off when Halyn spoke. Turning, he fixed his eyes on Halyn who was staring at her hands resting in her lap. Looking up, she fixed her eyes on Nighteye, her expression set and determined. "I'll do it."

"Leander..." Aizawa started, scolding in his tone.

"Honestly, sensei, it's fine. Yes, there's a big difference between being able to partially assimilate quirks past my limit and fully assimilating them, but I've been working hard to push that limit. I can't let it continue to cripple. Besides," Halyn turned to fix her teacher with a stern and resolved look. "What is but a moment of pain to me, regardless of how severe, when compared to a horrible life filled with nothing but pain and fear for a little girl? What kind of hero would I be if I walked away when there is something I could do to save her from her suffering? What kind of person would I be if I did so after suffering so similar of a fate, myself? That is the reason I took the hero name Fallout. I have resolved myself to stand in the fallout zone and that is exactly what I will do."

Aizawa knew the look on Halyn's face. When she got that look on her face, there was no talking her out of it. She was much like Midoriya in that way. He would play hell getting her to change her mind and, even then, he doubted she would change it. When he backed down under the fierceness of her gaze, Halyn turned her eyes back to Nighteye.

"Once out there, just tell me where he is, sir, and I'll will do it." Halyn said firmly.

Nighteye had to admit, he liked the resolved look on her face. She knew what she had to do and would be damned if she let others coddle her.

"Good." Nighteye replied.

Aizawa raised his hand then, drawing Nighteye's attention back to him.

"Um...if I could ask a question. I'm not completely knowledgeable about your abilities, Sir Nighteye, but if you have the ability to see the future, then can't you just look ahead and see what our outcome is? At this rate, we're not going to agree on anything and I'm still not convinced to allow Leander risk herself like that." Aizawa said, Halyn frowning at his words.

"That...I can't do." Nighteye replied. "Once I activate my foresight ability, it needs a 24 hour interval before it can be used again. In other words, everyday, for one hour, I can see one person's future. And when I do, likes a series of flashbacks it plays in my head frame by frame. Once activated, for an hour's time I can see the film of an individual's life...that's how you can think about it. However, all of that film is from a perspective that very closely follows the person. All I can see are their actions and their immediate surroundings."

"Err, but isn't that more than enough? You should be able to find out a lot from that. What do you mean you "Can't do" it?" Aizawa asked.

"For example, if in that person's immediate future, I see death. A merciless death awaiting them. What could I do? This quirk of mine is only supposed to be used when the chances of success have been brought to their highest. It should be used for insurance. When there are too many uncertainties at play, it should not be used recklessly." Nighteye replied.

"Even death is information, isn't it? Then you can put together a plan to avoid it!" Rock Lock retorted.

"It's not like telling a fortune. There's no evidence to show that you can avoid the outcome!" Nighteye told him.

"Nighteye! I don't really know what you're talking about, but it'll be okay! You can take a look at me! I'll avoid the outcome as many times as you want." Rock Lock assured him.

"I can't."

Those two words from Nighteye spoke volumes to Halyn. It wasn't just a matter of his quirk's limits. It was a matter of morals and ethics. Halyn understood that all too well.

"In any case, let's proceed with the plan. Don't forget, there's a girl in trouble here." Ryuukyuu said.

"Locating the girl and securing her rescue. Our goal is to resolve the situation as quickly and effectively as possible. Thank you all for your cooperation." Nighteye said.

Halyn had a really bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

And it wasn't from the omelet she had for breakfast.

-0-0-0-0-

"So that's what happened..."

Halyn glanced at Midoriya and Mirio as the two hung their heads. The meeting was over and the two had just finished telling her and the other UA students present, what had gone down with Eri when they had come across her and Chisaki.

"So frustrating..." Kirishima muttered.

"It's beyond frustrating." Halyn agreed.

A ding of the elevator announced the arrival of Aizawa, who spotted them instantly. Seeing the dark cloud that seemed to hang over the group, Aizawa approached them.

"Are you guys holding a wake or something?" he asked.

"Sensei!" Asui gasped, all of them turning to look at Aizawa, Halyn having to turn in her seat since her back was to him.

"Ah, just call me Eraserhead outside of class please. Oh, however...I had originally planned to suspend all of your internships today." Aizawa replied.

The blunt and matter-of-fact way he said that, had Halyn dropping her head to let her forehead bang against the table. Sometimes, she had to wonder if he ever really changed his monotone tone.

"What?! Why now, of all times?" Kirishima demanded, jumping to his feet.

"You all heard that there's a possibility that the League is involved. That changes things. If not the rest of you, then at least Leander since she's been a target of the League before." Aizawa replied.

Halyn twisted to look up at her teacher.

"Sensei-"

"Let me finish, Leander." Aizawa said, crouching down to be on eye level with her. "We have no way of knowing if Shigaraki will try to complete his master's plan and keep coming after you every chance he gets. There's no way to guarantee your safety."

"I don't need a guarantee on my safety, sensei." And there was the firm, resolved look of hers again. "I'm not going to live the rest of my life constantly looking over my shoulder. I refuse to. I might still be a high school student, but how am I suppose to show you that I can defend myself and still get my job done, if you won't let me try? This is a villain that, no matter what, cannot be allowed to keep his quirk. Not with the way he uses it. If I can help...if I can stop him from hurting anyone else, then I have to try. Regardless of the possible threat to myself. Which is exactly what it is...a **possible** threat."

Aizawa, sometimes, cursed just how logical and quick-thinking her brain could be. If they were to get into an honest-to-god argument, right then and there, he had no doubt that she would, at least, be able to keep the argument going for hours, if not win it. Heaving a sigh, he scratched the back of his head. Arguing with her wouldn't do him any good. It wouldn't do him any good with any of them. Turning his eyes from Halyn, he focused on Midoriya.

"But you know...Midoriya...you still haven't restored my trust in you yet, either. Unfortunately, I have every reason to believe that if I were to stop you right now...you'd just jump out in the midst of things again. You and Leander. I'm watching you. If you act again, we'll go by the formal procedures this time around, Midoriya. Got it, problem child?" Aizawa asked, reaching out to bump a fist against Midoriya's chest. "As for you, Leander..."

Halyn stiffened as he turned to her, her expression already shifting to that of someone who wouldn't stop until she made her point clear. It was just one trait of Halyn's that reminded Aizawa that she was still just a fifteen year old girl.

"Your brothers left you in my care. Don't make me have to call them, again, and inform them that you're either captured or laid up in a hospital bed. Got it?" Aizawa asked.

"Yes, sir! I promise, I can do this without going that far." Halyn assured him.

"Good. And don't think I don't know why you're so set on helping with this. I imagine that little girl reminds you of yourself, quite a bit." Aizawa added.

All eyes turned to Halyn as her mouth twisted somewhat. Memories flashed back into her mind of the time she had spent with Flame Lash and she was reminded, yet again, of the fact that All for One was to blame for it all.

"To be honest, she does. I know, from experience, the suffering and terror she must feel, but...that's not the reason. I swore, sensei, that if I ever came across someone, regardless of who they were, that was suffering and there was something I could do to help them, then I would. I'm not going back on that now." Halyn told him.

"I thought so." Aizawa reached out, giving Halyn's hair a ruffle before he turned to look at Midoriya's still bummed out expression. "As for you, let me tell you something...that hand of yours that just barely missed rescuing her...I'll bet that she felt something other than despair. So keep looking forward and go on."

"Yes sir!" Midoriya replied, jumping to his feet.

"I'll...I'll follow you forever, Eraserhead!" Kirishima cheered.

"No, not forever, please." Aizawa replied, before returning to the subject at hand. "Taking you off your internships is what I want to say, but...Aside from the Big Three, whose abilities are equivalent to, or even exceed a pro's, and the one job given to Leander, I think your roles will be fairly small. And Asui, Uraraka, Kirishima, Leander, you four aren't even necessarily here of your own free will. What do you want to do?"

"Sens-Eraserhead! After hearing that kind of story, you can't tell me I can't go!" Uraraka declared.

"If you're not going to say I can't, Eraser...I would like to be allowed to assist. We can't let those who would hurt a small girl get away with it." Asui added.

"Seeing as they've already let them participate in the meeting, I think...the heroes have already recognized the freshmen's abilities. Actually, in comparison to someone like me...these freshmen are considerably more brilliant." Amajiki remarked.

"Any opportunity to put yourself down, huh, Amajiki?" Hadou asked.

"If my strength will help that kid even a little, I'll do it, Eraserhead!" Kirishima declared.

"I've already given my answer. I can't sit back and watch as someone, especially an innocent child, suffers." Halyn said when Aizawa looked at her.

"I simply wanted to confirm your convictions. As long as you understand, that's fine. This time, our goal is ultimately the liberation of the child, Eri. Don't overstep that boundary. Our greatest concern is the shadow of the Villain Allegiance. From the police's observations as well as those from Nighteye and his staff, they don't seem to have a particularly cooperative relationship. Judging by the recent search of the premises, it looks like the possibility of them being in the same place is low. However, in the worst case scenario, if they were off the mark...and the alliance is also present and we can't complete our objective...you'll stop right there."

"Understood!" rang out from the first years.

Soon, they would all be acting like actual heroes, out in the field and saving lives. Until the mission could commence, they were to be put on standby and forbidden to speak of anything about their internships.

Two days later, late at night when she was just about to doze off watching a movie while curled up with Salvatore, Halyn's phone went off. Reaching over her head to where it set on a shelf built into the headboard of her bed, Halyn pulled it to her. As soon as she read the message, she bolted out of the bed, apologizing to Salvatore over her shoulder when she upset him.

Slipping on her slippers, she rushed from her room, meeting up with Asui, Uraraka, Kirishima, and Midoriya down stairs.

"You got it?" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah...the day we carry out the plan." Uraraka said.

Looking down at the screen of her phone, Halyn eyes scanned over the message telling her when she was suppose to report to duty for the mission to rescue Eri.

The morning of that said date, Halyn left the dorms flanked by Midoriya and Kirishima on one side and Uraraka and Asui on the other. Today would be the official start of her hero career.

Step one...save a little girl's smile.

END

Kyandi: Sorry it's only one chapter this time.

Halyn: Without a functioning keyboard, she's stuck using an on screen keyboard and that takes time.

Kyandi: That it does. If anyone wants to help me, even a little, with getting a new keyboard, then go to my and donate.

Halyn: You don't have to if you don't want to or can't, but it would be a big help.

Kyandi: Yep because, sooner or later, and I'm hoping it's later, my whole computer system is going to need an overhaul.

Halyn: Until we can get a new keyboard, though, please bare with us.

Kyandi: Yes, please. With that said, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye


	32. Road Blocks

Kyandi: Hey, Kyandiacs! I'm back!

Halyn: She has temporarily lost internet, so she's been working on chapters for an over-all massive update.

Kyandi: Which means this is just one of several chapters for multiple stories, that I will be updating.

Halyn: Lots of work.

Kyandi: You bet. I wanted to do, at least, one chapter for every story I currently have up, but I came up about five or six stories short. Which isn't bad considering I have seventeen stories currently in progress.

Halyn: I agree, it's a lot.

Kyandi: Yep, so let's move on! Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 32 Trials

Upon arriving on site for the start of the mission, everyone, police and hero alike, were debriefed.

Apparently, underneath one of the Eightfold Cleansers' houses was a complex, underground facility where their rescue target, Eri, was being kept. It was to be a straight shot from the entrance to the basement to the girl's room, which instantly had warning bells ringing in Halyn's head because, really, that was just too easy for them.

"However, even if that's what we're aiming for, if everyone is freely using their quirks, this search will get ugly real fast. That's why we've listed the registered quirks of the Cleansers as far as we're aware." the police chief announced. "Memorize them! Another reason I want everyone's positions accounted for as quickly as possible is to avoid giving them any time to conceal themselves."

"If we get that settled now, we can start early!" Kirishima remarked, adjusting his mask.

"You've been eager to start since this morning." Amajiki muttered.

"I'm starting to feel nervous." Uraraka admitted.

"Doing all this detective work, cooperating side by side with the police...it's been nothing but stuff I'm unfamiliar with." Asui added.

"I totally get it! It's, like, so out **there**!" Hadou added.

"You know, they didn't go into detail about this kind of thing back when I was in school, so it really tripped me up in my rookie days." Ryuukyuu told them.

"The pros are being all cool and calm! Guess they're used to it, huh!" Kirishima remarked, looking around at the pros.

"There's someone else being really calm." Asui pointed out.

All eyes followed Asui's eyes to where Halyn was calmly going through all of the inside pockets of her hoodie, checking her equipment. The girl looked just as relaxed as she did before going into training activities. When the students fell silent, Halyn looked up from checking on the flash gernades in one pocket, her tail freezing when she saw them all staring at her.

"What?" she asked when she found them staring at her.

"How are you so calm?" Kirishima asked her.

"You be the prisoner of an infamous villain for seven months and see if you get nervous as easily afterward." Halyn replied before going back to checking out her equipment.

"Yeah, but in the middle of a fight ain't it hard to think about Flame Lash?" Kirishima asked as their upperclassmen looked between them.

"No." Halyn held up one hand, palm out, and peeled back the glove enough to show the scarred skin of her palm. "Got my constant reminder, right here."

"Hey, heroes." The police chief speaking kept her friends from saying anything in reply. Halyn fixed her gloves as she focused in on the police chief. "There's no helping it if it gets a little rough out there. If you see even the slightest hint of suspicious behavior or resistance, please deal with it immediately! Our opponents are yakuza-types who, at the very least, survived long enough to see this day. So I want everyone of you fulfilling your roles to the utmost, without letting your guards down for a single second! Now move out!"

Halyn quickly made her way to Fatgum's side, Amajiki and Kirishima joining her while the rest of their school mates joined their mentors. Adjusting her gloves, Halyn took a deep breath. Their mission was about to start and she had to be ready for anything.

"The moment I'm finished reading the warrant, that's your cue to gallop in! Please be quick about it!" the police chief called out.

Halyn could only blink in surprise when, not even a single breath after the police chief rang the bell on the gate, a huge man wearing a mask came charging through the gate. And she meant **through** it. The gate doors went flying in opposite directions, along with the police officers on the front lines, as he came bursting out. Midoriya and Aizawa were the first ones to react, saving the officers that had sent flying before they could hit the ground.

The villain had already turned his attention on the crowd of policemen and heroes before the gate, everyone backing up as he geared up for another attack. Ryuukyuu took over from there, her form changing into that of a large dragon.

"For the time being, we should try not to split our forces. The Ryuukyuu group will deal with this one. Everyone else continue onward." Ryuukyuu called, confronting the villain.

With Ryuukyuu and her group handling the gate, everyone charged on past, Fatgum ushering Halyn and Kirishima on. Halyn looked back over her should at Uraraka and Asui.

"Ochako, Tsuyu! Be careful and do your best!" she called to her friends, Kirishima and Midoriya calling back their own encouragements.

Beyond the gate, to Halyn's eyes, it was basically just a bunch of thugs with basic sorts of quirks. That being said, there were a lot of them in their way. Even with all the policemen and heroes on the scene, there were a lot of thugs standing between them and the door. Seeing how many stood there, Aizawa knew one sure way to round up all the thugs so fast, they wouldn't see what was coming.

"Fallout!" Aizawa called. "Take them down."

Policemen and heroes, alike, cleared the way as flames bloomed to life around Halyn's crouched, tiger-like form.

"Yes, sir!" she called before launching herself forward.

With the full strength of her legs sending her rocketing forward, to those watching, all they saw was a fiery, tiger shape roaring past them. Zig-zagging back and forth, each villain the form came in contact with, vanished. It was only when she reached the front door, that Halyn came to a stop, the flames and fur fading away to show Halyn. When she had taken off, she had pulled her capture scarf off her tail and, relying on her fast reflexes, had managed to capture every one of the villains in her path.

All in all, it was a total of eight men, but it had been enough to clear their way to the door. By then, Halyn had picked up on the same thing as all of the other heroes. Their opponents had caught wind of their mission and these thugs were merely trying to hold them off and buy time for their boss. It was just a spiteful spit in the heroes' faces.

Halyn passed the captured villains she had wrangled, over to a couple of police officers, taking back her capture scarf and tying it back into place once the policemen had ahold of them.

"Good job, Fallout! Move on!" Fatgum told her as he passed her. Halyn whipped around, following him as he kicked open the front doors. "This's an urgent situation, so sorry for trackin' in dirt!"

Nighteye and his two sidekicks led the way, Halyn falling into step between Fatgum and Amajiki. If Chisaki had really caught wind of what they were up to, then he could already be on his way out of the compound with Eri in tow. They had to hurry.

"Forget about watchin' out for any "suspicious behavior". This is way beyond that!" Fatgum said.

"Yo, I'm gettin' a **real** bad feeling about this! Not that we've got any choice but to keep going now that the mission's on." Rock Lock said.

"I agree. My fur is standing on end." Halyn chimed in.

"I bet this means the info got leaked from somewhere and I don't like the look of how we're all just lumped together." Amajiki added.

"Then we need to find a way to be smarter about avoiding their attacks. They must be told to be united on purpose on a routine basis." the police chief said.

"Once they've crossed sake cups, their vows of loyalty to their boss are sealed. They probably feel inferior so they emphasize the kind of unity you'd see in gangs of bygone days." Aizawa said.

"Given how they have acted so far with all this commotion, mixed with the fact that I'm pretty sure none of us have seen hide nor hair of Chisaki and his top men, I'm willing to bet they're all in the basement getting ready to either hide everything or make a quick get away." Halyn remarked. "Sadly, that "loyalty" doesn't run both ways."

"You call that loyalty!? A real man would never push all the responsibility on his henchmen and escape!" Kirishima growled.

"Damn straight!" Fatgum agreed.

"Here it is." Nighteye called suddenly, coming to a stop.

Before him was a small alcove in the wall where a vase and wall decoration were on display. Nighteye instantly went up to the vase, moving it to the side.

"Under this vase there's a mechanism to open a hidden pathway. If we push on thseswooden panels in a certain order, it'll open." Nighteye said as he worked.

"It's like a ninja house!" Bubble Girl said as the secret doorway opened up.

"If we weren't looking for it we'd never notice." added Nighteye's other sidekick. "Everyone be wary of the quirks that have yet to show themselves."

The moment the door opened, thugs came spilling out of the passage way beyond. It was Nighteye's sidekicks that took them down and quickly at that.

"I'll make sure to make him behave; he won't be giving chase anytime soon! Please go on without me, I'll join you in no time!" Bubble Girl told Nighteye.

Everyone rushed on ahead, following Nighteye down a flight of stairs and into the basement. When they reached the bottom, they came upon a dead end that shouldn't have been there.

"I'll go take a look!" Mirio said.

"I'll go with you. Someone needs to watch your back and it's not wise to split up." Halyn told him, holding out her hand to him.

Catching onto what she was silently asking for, he held out his arm, letting Halyn lightly slap her bared finger tips against his skin. Turning, the two started phasing through the wall. The two popped out on the other side, both looking in opposite directions to make sure there were no enemies to take them by surprise. Sure enough, the path continued on just as Nighteyes had seen. Sharing a look, the two phased back through the wall.

"This wall was just thrown up to block the way!" Mirio told Nighteye.

"But it's a very, very thick wall." Halyn added.

"Guess even stuff like that is possible if Chisaki can disassemble and reassemble at will." Rock Lock said.

"Damn cheap trick..." Fatgum muttered.

"It's as good as telling us he'd hate it if we were able to get there!" Midoriya retorted.

"You're right!" Kirishima agreed. "They're takin' us too lightly if they think this'll be a hindrance!"

"Then let's show him otherwise." Halyn told her two classmates, turning to the face the wall with Midoriya on her left and Kirshima on her right.

Bending her knees, Halyn prepared herself. Moving in sync, the three launched themselves forward, all three hitting the wall hard and blasting right through it.

"And they've gone and done it. Not bad..." Rock Lock remarked.

"Got it before us." Fatgum agreed.

"Let's move on!" Nighteye called.

Before they could though, the path around them begun to twist and distort around them. It was definitely a warping quirk and it was making Halyn feel a little claustrophobic.

"This ain't Chisaki...it's warping! And it may seem unthinkable, but...it's gotta be Irinaka, the chief of headquarters!" the police chief told them. "But this is way too much for him to be able to handle! The most he should be able to slip into and manipulate is an object about the size of a refrigerator."

"He's probably using one of those booster drugs in order to increase the power of his quirk." Halyn remarked.

"If she's right then it ain't outta the question." Fatgum agreed. "A quirk that allows it's user to enter objects and control them freely...Mimicry! He's slipped into the concrete that makes up the basement floor and became a living labyrinth! I was watchin' out for what he mighta turned into, but I never thought he'd become the whole basement! The burden on his body won't be small, that's for sure. Can't you erase it, Eraser!?"

"Not unless I see the user's body, no." Aizawa replied. "Fallout?"

"I need to come in contact with his body in order to use Null and Void. I'm at just as much of a disadvantage here as you, sensei." Halyn replied.

"If the pathway keeps changing...we'll never reach our goal. And during that time, they can prepare any number of escape routes. Dealing with all of this instantaneously...deciding a course of action...ahh...it's no good, I can't...It won't only be the girl that we can't save. We also will be...!"

"Tamaki!" Mirio called cutting off Amajiki. "That's not gonna happen! You are Suneater! Not to mention, all this is a stopgap measure! No matter how much he warps the passage, as long as I know the right direction, I can get there! They're just buying time, cuz they know as well as we do this is a race! Fallout, come with me! We'll go on ahead!"

Mirio vanished off ahead of Halyn who was digging something out of one of her pockets. Turning, she tossed it towards Aizawa.

"Sensei, take this! It'll keep us in touch!" she told Aizawa.

Aizawa caught what she tossed, finding a little two way transmitter radio that would allow them to communicate up to a certain distance.

"Be careful, Fallout. Remember your goal." Nighteye told her.

"I know, sir. Leave it to me." Halyn told him. "I won't leave a little girl to suffer like this and I certainly won't leave him able to torment others this way, either."

With that, she turned and vanished through the wall after Mirio. Not a moment after Mirio and Halyn vanished through the wall, the floor beneath their feet opened up and dropped them down to the floor below, before closing up to seal off their way back.

All without Halyn and Mirio being the wiser.

"Keep up, Fallout!' Mirio called back.

"Right behind you, senpai!"

Mirio glanced back at Halyn, who had managed to catch up with him. Having her around could actually help him a lot. With her different assimilated quirks, as well as her trained physical skills, Halyn was the perfect back up to have.

"Do you have a quirk on hand that you can use to track Chisaki and Eri?" Mirio asked.

"If I knew their scents already, then yes, but I don't so I can't. Sorry." Halyn replied.

It was unfortunate but they couldn't help it. They would just have to keep following the passage way and hope they found Chisaki. That being that, Mirio knew Halyn would need to get a drop on Chisaki if she was to take his quirk.

"Answer something for me." Mirio requested.

"What is it?"

"The other day when Eraserhead said you wanted to help because Eri was like you...what did he mean? Does it have something to do with what you mentioned earlier about that seven moments held prisoner?" For a moment, Halyn was silent. It had him glancing over his shoulder, wondering if it was something she didn't want to talk about and, therefore, wouldn't answer. "Sorry, I shouldn't pry."

"No, it's fine. It's not like I've really kept it a secret. Tell me, did you watch my match against Todoroki Shoto during the Sports Festival?" Halyn asked.

"Not all of it. I only caught the end."

"Then you wouldn't know. When I was around Eri's age...I was taken prisoner and tortured by the villain, Flame Lash. He had some beef with my father and when my father went missing after my mother's death, he came after me, hoping to draw my father out. That despair and terror, was my life for seven long months."

Mirio, shocked, looked back at Halyn but she was staring directly forward.

"I...I didn't know..."

"How could you? Shoto only found out because he researched and it was through him that everyone else found out. But now you get what I meant when I said I know the terror that poor girl is living with. I lived those seven months pleading for help that didn't come, screaming for someone to save me until my throat was numb...I won't sit back while there's a little girl in front of me, suffering as I suffered. I just don't have it in me to be that cruel. Not when I know...when I know that the tears are the first thing to go."

Mirio's eyes snagged on Halyn's face, on the almost pained expression on her face.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, she won't cry, she won't make a sound because she's learned that it's a wasted effort. If there was something I learned after only a month with Flame Lash, it's that my energy was best saved for bracing for the pain I knew was coming. After hearing what you and Deku said about her, I know that Eri won't cry. She'll brace herself and take the pain because that's how she's survived up to this point, not knowing that...the silence is the worst part."

"Leander..."

Halyn gave him a smile when he trailed off. She knew the look on his face and was no stranger to people feeling sorry for her, but she wasn't going to let anyone feel bad for her.

"You don't have to look at me like that. I'm good, really. In fact, I'm grateful. Because of everything Flame Lash did to me, I came out of it with a firm resolve to help others. It's because of that that I've worked so hard to get to where I am and, now, I'm going to use that drive to help save a little girl going through the same thing. So let's focus on that." she told him.

Mirio gave her a smile, glad to see that, despite a horrible event in her past, she was still working to move forward. He was sure that she was the best person to have his back. Which brought him to a second question for her.

"Good. Then I have another question for you." he told her.

"I'm listening."

"When we sparred, you assimilated my quirk in a brief moment of contact. Is that always the case?" he asked.

"Only if I'm partially assimilating a quirk. To fully assimilate, I need prolonged contact. I need, at least, ten, at most, fifteen seconds. That being said, once I really get a hold of the quirk, the discomfort paralyzes the target. Most of the time, at least. So I would really only need to be able to keep him still for a few seconds. I can manage that if I can take him by surprise."

"Then fall back. I'll distract him and try to make an opening for you. If you get the chance and he has a hold of her, try to get Eri from him." Mirio told her.

"Got it. Senpai?" Mirio turned to look back at her. She met his gaze with a serious expression. "Be careful. Don't let them shoot you with that quirk erasing drug."

"Same to you. Eraserhead wouldn't be happy if I let you get hurt." he told her, only half way joking.

"Of that, I have no doubt."

With that, Halyn turned on the spot and ran straight through the wall, using the bit of his quirk she had borrowed from him. Once she was out of sight, he continued on. It only took a minute running to catch up with Chisaki. The man had an underling with him, who was currently carrying Eri in his arms.

"Sorry to bother you, but guess I gotta ask after all. May I have a few words with you?" Mirio asked.

"It's him...You shouldn't have been able to get here so easily." Chisaki said.

"I took a short cut and I came to rescue that girl." Mirio replied.

"I see you pull your _hero face_ after the circumstances dawn on you, hmm Mr. Student? At that time you noticed, but simply pretended not to, didn't you. She doesn't even wish to be rescued by you. To this girl, you're no hero." Chisaki retorted.

"That's why I'm here now." Mirio insisted.

"It seems I'm not getting through to you, so I'll put it simply." Chisaki said, turning his back on Mirio. Mirio charged his back, running after him. "You're just going to die."

Before Mirio could reach Chisaki, a sudden wave of vertigo washed over him, throwing his balance completely off. It was like he had just suddenly chugged down half a dozen bottles of sake and it sent him staggering until he crashed into a wall.

"Hya hya hya hya! You a little drunk over there?!" Mirio looked up, finding a man hanging from the pipes racing across the ceiling, chugging a bottle of sake. "Whee...your legs are gettin' unste...gettin' really unsteady, right?! Same here! And that's why you can't walk! Don't get too close to me, or you might catch the drunkenness!"

It wasn't too hard for Mirio to figure out that his sudden bout of vertigo was this rambling drunkard's quirk at work. It was a bothersome quirk that made it difficult to move. And with Eri right before him! Mirio silently prayed that Halyn followed Eri and stayed away from this man and his quirk.

It was then that Mirio noticed the second man blocking his way...and the fact that he was currently pointing a gun at him. Mirio jumped to the side to avoid the first shot and allowed the second to phase through his body.

"What is your quirk?" the new arrival asked.

Before Mirio could think to stop himself, he blurted out the answer. He instantly covered his mouth in disbelief when the words left him. This man, Nemoto, must have a quirk that forced his victims to answer his questions truthfully.

"I was wondering what crevice you managed to crawl out of. I see. I suppose that meant you could just phase past Mimic and the others, too." Nemoto remarked.

Nemoto's comrade, Sakaki, threw his sake bottle at him then, Nemoto smacking the bottle aside with ease and causing it to clatter against the ground without breaking.

"You suck at this! Don't make him get farther away! What, you drunk?!" Sakaki snapped.

"That would be you." Nemoto retorted.

"Ah, that was me?!" Sakaki repeated, like the drunkard he was.

"I'm special. So all you have to do is shut up and be my support." Nemoto told his drunk companion.

"So you..."force people to speak"...is that it?" Mirio asked, stumbling to his feet. "You're not the type...to stand...on the front lines!"

"Which is why," Nemoto fired off two more shots, the bullets phasing harmlessly through Mirio. "I, who differ from the other sacrificial fodder, am a singular entity among this organization! I've been permitted to tag along the capo and his ambitions!"

"Ambitions!? Using his own daughter...!?" Mirio retorted.

"To carry things out smoothly, emotions are unnecessary. You of all people should know that. For, upon coming across Eri, you chose to let her go. In order to carry things out smoothly, didn't you?" Nemoto countered.

"That's right..."

Mirio grit his teeth. He knew what Nemoto was doing. He was striking using truth as a weapon. There were times, Mirio was sure of now, that Nemoto could draw out insecurities of which his victims were even unaware of.

"The majority tends to sniff out our plans and regret it. You? Save Eri?" Nemoto said, Sakaki drawing out knives. "You're just using Eri as a vehicle to ease your own guilt. Just watch, Sakaki! Watch as I march on! March towards the Capo's ambition! I'm **needed**! And so I must follow him! We shall walk forward **together**! And share in the joy of **accomplishment**! Yes! Yes! Die, intruder!"

Both Nemoto and Sakaki attacked, but Mirio knew himself well enough that he refused to let Nemoto's word shake him in his resolve. Using his own super move, he attacked the two landing three solid hits to their heads. With that done, he went for Chisaki next. He popped up behind Chisaki, but the man caught on to him at the last second, just barely managing to avoid the flying fist that would have hit him in the face. At the same time, he swung a kick for Chisaki's underling, Kurono, his foot phasing through Eri, so as to not hurt her.

The kick connected solidly with Kurono's face, forcing the man to release Eri as he was knocked back off his feet. Mirio caught Eri, wondering, for just a moment, where Halyn was and hoping that she hadn't ran into another enemy. He couldn't dwell on that long, though, in the face of Eri's distress.

"But _why_...! Stop...you can't... **That man will kill you**!" she exclaimed in panic.

"I'll never let him make you sad ever again. Everything's fine now! I'll be your hero!" Mirio assured her, cradling her close to his chest.

"How _filthy_. Come back here, Eri. Don't you care if he's killed? How many times must I tell you before you understand? _You were_ _ **born**_ _to destroy others_." Chisaki told Eri.

"Mister, y-you can't...! He's gonna-"

"Don't listen to him!" Mirio told Eri, cutting her off.

"I'm always telling you the same thing: whenever you start acting selfish like this, then I've gotta go and get my hands dirty. Every single one of your actions is destined to kill people. You are a **cursed being**." Chisaki said.

"How the hell can you say such a thing to your own daughter!?" Mirio demanded.

"What...? Ah, right. That old story." Chisaki remarked, removing one of his gloves. "I don't have any children."

In the next second, Chisaki completely disassembled the walls and floors around them, reassembling them into spikes that came crashing in on Mirio and Eri. It took some quick reacting on Mirio's part to save Eri from being hurt or worse.

"Looks like you've got more going for you than just your quirk." Chisaki remarked.

"You'd put even her in harm's way!?" Mirio demanded, phasing free of the spikes.

"Yep. It doesn't matter if Eri breaks." Chisaki said, disassembling the room once more. "If I reassemble her in time, I can bring her back to life. And Eri doesn't need to come out of it pristine, since I can revert her back to her original state anyway. Trust me, Eri, and her **body** , know that first-hand."

Just the mere thought made Mirio sick to his stomach. How someone could be so cruel towards a little girl, was beyond him. But Chisaki really saw no issue with what he was saying, as if the man possessed nothing even remotely resembling a heart.

"What are **you** going to do if Eri gets hurt? Because in this situation, I'm the only one who can heal her. You can't phase your way out of here while holding onto her, so are you going to fight me here? Do tell, Mr. School-boy. I sealed away any path out of here through my quirk. As for **your** quirk..." As Chisaki said this, Mirio caught sight of Kurono raising a gun.

"One hit from this, and you can kiss it goodbye." Kurono said, finishing Chisaki's sentence.

Mirio clicked his tongue in annoyance. He had been aiming to render Kurono unconscious, but it seemed his aim had been off. Perhaps it had been the effect of Sakaki's quirk that had caused his aim to be off.

"Aim for the arm that's cradling her, idiot." Chisaki ordered of Kurono.

"The way he uses that quirk is very precise and controlled. I don't think he'd let that happen." Kurono replied. "He must have put quite some effort into training it."

Mirio wasn't about to let that happen. Pulling Eri close and shielding her with his free arm, Mirio wrapped them both up in his cape, making it difficult for Kurono to actually hit his target. As it was, the two shots he fired, missed their mark.

"And here I thought heroes just wore capes to look cool." Kurono remarked, watching as the cape fell to the ground until it was obvious that it was only covering Eri and Mirio had phased into the ground.

Before Kurono could move, Mirio popped up out of the ground at his feet, landing an upper cut to his jaw right at the same moment that Chisaki tried to reassemble the floor to lift him up out of Mirio's way. He barely saved Kurono from a hit that would have knocked him out, but it sent Kurono's gun flying out of his hand and spinning across the floor.

Chisaki, without wasting any time, turned his attention to Eri who was still wrapped up in Mirio's cape. While he would admit that Mirio was tough, he had left Eri behind and that gave Chisaki something to aim for. Mirio wasn't going to let him go after her, though, and popped up behind Chisaki. Chisaki raised a hand, trying to stop the fist flying for his face, but Mirio simply phased through it, landing a punch directly to Chisaki's face.

"The reason heroes wear capes is so they can take tormented little girls in their pain and suffering and cloak them in its comfort!" Mirio declared.

Eri, still mostly wrapped up in the cape, watched with wide eyes as Mirio fought off Kurono's follow up attack. She couldn't understand why anyone would fight so hard for her.

"Watch the enemy closely! Then predict their next move! The way you fight, I'd never think you were just some yazuka. You're no pushover, Chisaki! But you know what!? I'm even stronger than you! I won't let you lay another finger on her! I'm gonna take both of you down! You lose, Chisaki!" Mirio said, landing another hit on Chisaki.

"Don't you dare call me by that name so flippantly! I threw away that name!" Chisaki snapped at Mirio before noticing that Nemoto had managed, somehow, to remain conscious after Mirio's attack.

Calling the man's name, Chisaki tossed a case of bullets to him, yelling at him to shoot. Mirio had no doubt in his mind that those were the quirk erasing bullets and that they planned on trying to take his quirk from him. Nemoto knew that he would only have one chance and that if he aimed for Mirio than the teenager would only let it phase through his body, so, instead, he aimed for Eri.

Mirio didn't even stop to think. He threw himself at Eri, smiling as he threw himself between her and the bullet, taking the shot to his left shoulder blade.

"Because people are endowed with these things called "quirks", they can dream. Dream that maybe they can be someone that matters. They're all sick in the head! So wipe that smile off your face! Thanks to the power of that girl you were trying to save, everything you've worked so hard to cultivate has just been reduced to naught!" Chisaki yelled.

Before Chisaki could make use of his quirk, Mirio kicked the unconscious Kurono at him. Chisaki shoved the unconscious man aside but Mirio had followed close behind, landing a punch. Even without his quirk, Mirio would fight to protect Eri.

"Focus on your opponent, and predict their next action...! Nothing...! Nothing I've done up to now will ever be useless! I will always be Lemillion!" Mirio insisted.

Five minutes.

For five minutes, Mirio fought without the use of his quirk and, in the process of protecting Eri, ended up horribly injured when Chisaki formed spikes out of the room around them, the sharpened ends tearing into his body.

"You wanted to be a hero and you wanted to save Eri, Lemillion. It is all because of the sickness plaguing this squalid age! I'll cure all the delusional people like you with Eri's power!" Chisaki declared.

"Try curing your own twisted mind, first!"

Chisaki turned when the voice suddenly sounded from behind him and his eyes widened when all he saw was the quickly approaching shin aimed for his face. The kick hit him hard, sending him flying back off his feet and across the room to slam into a wall. Mirio, collapsing to the ground with relief, grinned when he saw the person standing there, lowering her leg to brace herself once more.

"You finally made it...Fallout!" he said in relief.

Halyn stood there in the middle of the room, her tail idly swaying as she fixed her eyes on Chisaki, who was prying himself free of the wall. She only spared a single glance in Mirio's direction, checking on him and Eri, before she fixed her eyes back on Chisaki.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Lemillion-senpai. I got a little tied up after separating from you. Small fry, but there were a lot of them. My knuckles will be feeling the hardness of their heads for a few days." Halyn replied, idly rubbing the knuckles of one hand.

After parting ways with Mirio, Halyn had phased through the wall and had found herself in a room full of, at least, a dozen of Chisaki's underlings. In terms of fighting power, they were probably considered nothing more than canon fodder and Halyn had managed to render them all unconscious before hauling them back to the main hallway, tied up. It had just taken time to do. By the time she finished, Mirio had found himself in this shape.

It made her grit her teeth to see how her senpai had fared.

"Condition?" she asked.

"Eri's safe and I'll live." Mirio told her.

He would live.

It was a long way from making her feel better, but she was there now and she would have to take over the fight. Needless to say, she had wasted her element of surprise and it would be a little tricky to get his quirk now, but she could still manage it if she could neutralize his quirk first. With that idea in mind, first things first...skin-to-skin contact.

"Another sick one has crawled out of the woodwork. How'd you get in here?" Chisaki demanded, his eyes scanning the walls, which were still in one piece.

"Does that really matter? I am Fallout and I am here for Eri and my senpai. And you, of course. Surrender peacefully while you can, Chisaki. I'm not fond of hurting others if there can be a peaceful way to resolve the situation." Halyn told him.

Apparently, though, Chisaki didn't agree. Just like he didn't agree with her calling him Chisaki. With a hand to the floor, Halyn quickly found spikes curling in on her at a pace too fast to be physically dodged. Realizing that quickly, Halyn merely raised an eyebrow before the spikes crashed in on her.

"That one wasn't even worth my time." Chisaki remarked.

"You really shouldn't underestimate her." Chisaki turned to look at Mirio when he spoke, finding a grin on his face. "Fallout is not a hero so easily beaten. Especially since...she has my quirk."

Chisaki didn't have time to question that statement as, in the next moment, Halyn popped free of the ground, landing a solid upper cut to Chisaki's chin. Chisaki stumbled back from her, but kept his feet. Turning his eyes to her, he begun to wrack his brain on how she could possibly have Mirio's quirk. Several questions rushed through his head.

Was it simply two similar quirks?

Did she have a quirk that allowed her to copy others?

Was it a completely different quirk than that?

So many questions and he highly doubted that she would actually give him an answer if he asked. As it was, the look in her eyes as she gazed upon him...he couldn't classify it as anything other than disturbed, maybe disgusted. Whichever it was, it was clear that the girl did not like him in the slightest and that was just fine. He would just have Nemoto take her quirk as he had taken Mirio's. Mirio, who had dropped to one knee in relief at Halyn's arrival, saw the danger coming at Halyn from behind and completely forgot to use her hero name as he called out to her.

"Leander, behind you!"

In the next breath, Nemoto fired the gun as Halyn's leg muscles bunched. Then she was springing into the air, her body completely springing up out of the line of fire, leaving Chisaki throwing himself to the side in order to avoid being hit with the shot, instead. Twisting in midair, Halyn pulled a stun gun from one of the many pockets on her hoodie, took aim and fired at Nemoto. The man's body went as ridged as a board when the prongs found exposed flesh and Halyn applied the voltage.

Halyn landed on her feet, letting up off the trigger and letting Nemoto fall limp to the ground.

"Take a nap, why don't you." she told him.

When he twitched, like he was about to move to try to pull himself together and get to his feet, Halyn applied a heavy handed touch to the trigger once more, making the man's body twitch as more electricity pulsed through him. She let the power flow for a moment longer before easing up off the trigger once more. This time, Nemoto didn't move again. Before she could lower her arm, though, spikes shot up from the floor, one spearing her through her side and two more through the thighs where her skin had been left uncovered.

Eri stiffened behind Mirio, grabbing the back of his costume tightly. Halyn, though, didn't even flinch, even as blood trickled down the spikes from her injuries. Instead of flinching, she turned a neutral expression on Chisaki, who was watching her with wide eyes.

"Seriously? I thought yakuza had a code about hurting women and children and yet, here you are, torturing a little girl and then attacking me when my back was turned. You really should think twice before attacking someone." Halyn told him.

Right before their eyes, Halyn phased through the spike, stepping free of them. Once free, they watched as the wounds begun to heal themselves. Halyn dusted herself off when they fully closed.

"You know, it wasn't until I started facing all the villains I've been forced to go up against lately, that I really started to appreciate the inability to feel pain." Halyn remarked, turning to fully face a shocked Chisaki.

"Just what is your quirk?" Chisaki mused.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Halyn replied, her knees bending and her tail lashing.

In the next instant, Halyn was rocketing forward. Chisaki tried to rearrange the room to form a shield in front of him, but Halyn's speed was faster. She landed a kick to his side, sending him flying off his feet and across the room. Halyn's feet no sooner touched the ground and she was off once again. This time, Chisaki reacted fast enough. The floor rearranged into pillars that shot towards Halyn, the girl bracing herself before they hit, sending her skidding across the room.

Halyn rolled, popping back to her feet. She skidded a few more feet before she came to a stop. Chisaki appeared from behind the pillars, a look of recognition on his face. It was as if he had finally figured out who she was.

"Leander." One of Halyn's eyebrows rose when he said her name. Shifting, she prepared herself for his next attack. "Your name is Leander?"

"Your point?" Halyn asked.

"I know that name. A little girl, eight years ago, who took down a villain." Mirio's eyes flew to Halyn who kept her eyes fixed on Chisaki. "Who would have guessed that I would meet the very kid that managed to bring down the infamous Flame Lash. No wonder you want to help Eri. How long did Flame Lash keep you captive and tortured you?"

"It does not matter. I defeated Flame Lash and left his torture in the past, but you are right. I am here for Eri because I refuse to stand back and watch another little girl suffer as I did. I won't do it. I will prove to her that there is more to this life than what you have given her, that there is hope for her out there. Just like my senpai, I won't leave her here." Halyn replied. " **That's** the kind of hero I am."

"You just might be the sickest one out there." Chisaki remarked.

"If being hopeful and seeing the light of the world and wanting to save others is being sick, then yeah...I am." Halyn agreed.

Chisaki scanned her for a second. Attacking her didn't work. She obviously didn't feel the pain and her wounds healed almost as soon as he caused them. It was worse than dealing with Mirio with his quirk, cause she had his quirk as well as others. Which got Chisaki to thinking. He was pretty sure that her quirk was some kind of copy quirk. As long as he couldn't hurt her, she would continue to find a way to evade his attacks.

That being said, she, like all heroes, had one fatal flaw.

Halyn shifted her position the moment Chisaki shifted his attention to Eri and Mirio. If he thought he could get to her by attacking them, then he was in for a surprise. She wouldn't fall that easily. No sooner had Chisaki turned his attention on the two, Halyn appeared between Mirio and Eri in a display of dancing lightning bolts, laying hands on both before vanishing once more, taking Mirio and Eri along with her. Chisaki's attack passed through thin air before Halyn reappeared on the other side of the room, Eri held tightly to her chest and Mirio's shoulder gripped tightly in her grip.

Hissing lowly, Halyn took a moment to get her bearings. Teleporting by herself was one thing, but trying to drag two people along with her had taken a bit out of her. For a moment, her vision spun, causing her grip on Mirio to tighten a bit as she fought to get her bearings straight. Mirio looked up at Halyn as she took a slow breath in and released it just slowly.

"Fallout?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I've never tried to teleport others with me before. I lost my bearings for a moment." Halyn told him lowly. Turning her attention to Eri, Halyn gave her a smile. "Hey there, sweet girl. Don't you worry about a thing. We're going to get you out of here and once we do, I promise, I'll show you how girls like us can change our luck and make a difference, how we can make friends and be happy, okay? For now, be a good girl and stay here with Lemilion-senpai."

Halyn turned, passing Eri over to Mirio. Eri twisted instantly, peering back up at Halyn as the girl gave her bright smile and a tap on the tip of her nose. When Halyn turned to walk away, Eri seized hold of her hand, stopping her. Halyn glanced back at the little girl.

"Please, don't...he'll hurt you!" Eri told her.

Turning back to face the girl, Halyn crouched in front of her, taking her little hand in both of hers. Smiling, Halyn met her gaze.

"I know he will, but you know what...that's just fine." Halyn told her, gently reaching out to tuck the girl's hair behind her ear. "I'm a big girl, and I don't feel the pain. I'll be fine. But you, and Lemilion-senpai...you can feel the pain, you can be hurt, and I'm not going to let you be hurt again. Especially not by him. This is what I train for, what I've devoted my life to, and I can take anything he throws at me if it means helping little girls who have felt the same fear and pain I have. So, don't worry about me. He couldn't hurt me if he wanted to. Stay here, safe with Lemilion-senapi and later, I'll introduce you to my favorite snacks, alright? Let me worry about Chisaki. Just remember something for me...none of this is your fault. Not in the slightest."

Giving Eri's hand a gentle pat, Halyn released her hand and stood. Turning away from the two, Halyn headed for Chisaki, Eri staring at her in surprise. Here was yet another person that talked to her, touched her, with such gentle words and hands. Watching Halyn walk away from them and back into battle, Eri gripped her hands together, hoping she would be okay.

"Just how many quirks have you copied?" Chisaki demanded as Halyn neared.

"You have something wrong there...I don't copy quirks."

The next moment, Halyn was darting to Chisaki's right, making the man whip around. He tried to react in time to defend himself from her attack, but, at the last second, Halyn put on the brakes before throwing everything in reverse. Chisaki didn't know what was going on at first and moved to attack her while she was retreating.

It was then that Midoriya came crashing through the wall, landing a punch to Chisaki's left shoulder.

Halyn hopped back, avoiding Chisaki as he was sent flying away from Midoriya, Aizawa and Nighteye joining the fray.

"Nighteye! Secure the girl!" Aizawa called.

"She's behind me." Mirio called.

Nighteye instantly rushed over to Mirio and Eri, gathering the two in his arms.

"Fallout, report!" Aizawa called from across the room.

"Not a scratch on me, Sensei. Senpai and I got separated, so I arrived later than him." Halyn called back.

With Aizawa present, Chisaki was left unable to use his quirk. Something that really didn't sit right with the man. He was sick of these heroes and how much they had already succeed in ruining his plans. When Aizawa and Midoriya moved in to finish the job started by Mirio and continued by Halyn, Chisaki yelled out to Kurono to wake up. Warning bells going off in his head, Aizawa pushed Midoriya out of the way, and ended up taking a slash to his right bicep when Kurono activated his quirk.

Halyn, who had been pretty sure the man was incapacitated when she arrived, figured out what had happened pretty quickly. Some time during the fight, Chisaki must have gotten his hands on Kurono, allowing him to heal the damage done to the man. Halyn couldn't recall a moment when that could have happened after she had arrived, so she figured it had to have happened before.

In that moment, Aizawa couldn't keep himself from blinking, freeing Chisaki from the effects of his quirk. Chisaki instantly reconstructed the room. Halyn instantly took a dive for Nighteye, shoving the man back and using her body to shield him, Mirio, and Eri as much as possible. She ended up on her knees, caging the three between her and a wall, two spikes just barely coming short of spearing the lower part of her spine. They still found soft flesh, Halyn's body being the only thing that kept the spikes from harming the three she had been trying to protect.

"Fallout-"

"Eri is the priority, right, sir?" Halyn asked, cutting off Nighteye and meeting his eyes. "Senpai is already badly hurt and you are a key hero in this mission. Compared to the three of you, my injuries are of little consequence. Besides...I do not feel the pain and will heal the moment these spikes are removed. It was a calculated move and I do not regret making it."

With that said, Halyn twisted, peering across the room towards where Chisaki now stood, one hand to his face. Nemoto, during the latest reconstruction of the room, had landed right in front of Chisaki.

"I cannot...I **will** not allow my plan to be ruined by these damned heroes! Right, Nemoto?! You don't want that either, do you?! You would never want me to meet my end here! Nemoto. You have truly done well for me. I'm sure you, of all people, would be happy to die for my sake, wouldn't you?" Chisaki ranted, grabbing ahold of his unconscious underling.

Halyn watched, in horror, as Chisaki deconstructed both him and Nemoto and reconstructed them into a grotesque, fused form. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Now...you'll be returning Eri to me." Chisaki roared.

Halyn had a really bad feeling about this.

END

Kyandi: Seeing Chisaki fused together with Nemoto in real life would give me nightmares.

Halyn: I see your point.

Kyandi: Chisaki, in general, gave me nightmares. Well, not literally, but you get my point.

Halyn: I do.

Kyandi: Anway, I have two more chapters for this story and eleven others for other stories, so we'll cut it off here. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back soon.

Kyandi: Bye-bye


	33. Farewell Nighteye

Kyandi: And we're back!

Halyn: You'll have to forgive her if she missed a few mistakes while editing.

Kyandi: My eyes, thanks to it being that time of year when my allergies act up, are messing up and it's hard to see straight when they want to constantly water and itch.

Halyn: Needless to say, she's not a late spring fan.

Kyandi: I'm not a summer fan, either.

Halyn: Yes, but that's for a different reason.

Kyandi: Yep...heat and humidity. Welcome to Texas, the summers here suck! Anyway, moving on, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 33 Farewell Nighteye.

 _Got to move quickly._

Now feeling the urgency of the situation, Halyn phased through the spikes, her body healing the injuries quickly. Moving over the spikes, her tail lashing like a cat on the trail of its prey, Halyn shifted herself into a better position.

Things were starting to look bad, really bad. She had to get her hands on Chisaki's quirk as soon as she could. If she didn't, this was going to end up bad.

"I'm in an awful mood right now...but this is a little better. When someone lays their fingers on me, I can't help but feel the need to cleanse myself. I can feel the blood rushing to my head...this is the first time I've been pushed to this point." Chisaki said. "What a tragic life, huh, Lemillion? If only you hadn't gotten involved with Eri...with me, you would not have lost your quirk forever. You'd still be able to pursue your dreams."

Halyn froze on the spot. Was that...was that why he had been so beat up when she had arrived? Halyn knew she should have been able to connect the dots after seeing the bullet that briefly took Amajiki's quirk. If she had stopped to think it through...no. Even if she had noticed it sooner, there would have been nothing she could have done to reverse what had already been done.

Halyn snapped herself out of it as Chisaki bent to pick up the case of bullets laying on the ground.

"And despite losing it, because you insist on dragging this out, you've gotten all your friends mixed into this, only for them all to die." Chissaki declared.

Boy was he in for a rude awakening.

Midoriya and Halyn must have had the same thought for both attacked at the same time. While Midoriya had used a piece of the reconstructed floor, Halyn had to back flip to avoid the claws of the new limbs Chisaki had gained by fusing with Nemoto. Halyn landed on her feet, instantly jumping backwards as Midoriya came back with another piece of flooring. Chisaki stopped it, his attention shifting to Midoriya.

Big mistake.

Chisaki let out a growl of annoyance as Halyn attacked him from the other side. Grabbing her ankle, he tossed Halyn away from himself, counter attacking with more spikes. Midoriya's iron soles saved him from injury while Halyn popped out of existence for a moment, reappearing on the other side of Chisaki. Before he could attack the two students once more, something came flying at him with impressive force.

Halyn quickly zeroed in on Nighteye being the attacker.

"I'll take this guy on! Go take care of Lemillion and Eri-chan!" Nighteye ordered of Midoriya, attacking with more of his stamps.

"Roger that." Midoriya replied.

"Fallout!" Nighteye called.

"On it, sir!" Halyn called back, vanishing in a flash of lightning bolts once more.

Chisaki scanned the room, but the girl didn't reappear. Not anywhere he could see. He was forced to focus on Nighteye, though, as the hero attacked him once more.

"What did you do with Eraser? Your lackeys aren't here either." Nighteye said.

"I've got a bit of interest in the quirk-erasing hero, you see. We've escorted him to the VIP room!" Chisaki replied.

Across the room, Halyn popped back into existence next to Mirio and Eri. Midoriya quickly joined her.

"I'll help you get them out of here, but then I have a job to finish." Halyn told Midoriya.

"Yeah, thanks." Midoriya told her before turning to Mirio. "Can you move?"

"...Ah! Yeah...no sweat...!" Mirio replied.

"Are you sure? You're pretty beat up, senpai." Halyn remarked, moving until she was beside Mirio.

"Yeah. I guess this is bumming me out after all. I don't suppose you can use your healing quirk on others?" Mirio asked, looking at Halyn.

"Sorry, but no. As for the rest..." Halyn glanced at Eri, her mind already racing, wondering if Eri might be able to reverse the effects cause from her own quirk. "Well, we'll figure it out later. For now, let's get out of here."

"Right!" Midoriya agreed, Halyn helping him to get Mirio, who held Eri tightly, to his feet. "It just got closed up moments ago, but this is the way that we passed through to get here! We've got to put some distance between us and Chisaki! At the very least, it'll be safer than here."

Midoriya cleared their way, Halyn sticking close and guarding their backs. It was then that they heard Eri's crying.

"Please...no more...I'm sorry..." Eri cried.

Halyn laid a gentle hand on Eri's head, glancing back to make sure they were still clear. It was in that moment that she, Midoriya and Mirio saw something that had Halyn freezing in her tracks, her blood running cold.

Chisaki had speared Nighteye through.

Midoriya and Halyn moved without stopping to think, leaving Mirio to continue on with Eri. Midoriya, giving a mighty stomp with his enhanced strength, had the floor breaking and buckling, distracting Chisaki. With that distraction, Halyn attacked. Chisaki slashed at her, but, in a flash, she was gone, reappearing just to his left to land a hard kick to his head. Chisaki slide a few feet, caught himself, and turned on her, but Halyn had already vanished and was back next to Midoriya, crouched as her tail lashed.

"You guys coming here has only made things worse for yourselves. You do recognize this, right? Give it up. It's just going to turn out exactly as I said it would. Everyone will die." Chisaki told them.

"We won't let that happen." Halyn shot back.

"Even if that's what fate has decided...I will bend the future!" Midoriya declared.

"Nothing is set in stone. Ever! If the future, if "destiny" has preordained the deaths of those here and the continued suffering of a little girl...then we'll blow right past it! Our futures are ours to make!" Halyn agreed.

Midoriya and Halyn attacked together. When one attacked Chisaki, forcing him to focus on them, the other would hit him from another side. With Midoriya, it was easy to track the boy's movements, for they were straight forward, even if they were fast. Halyn, on the other hand...with the way the girl could appear and vanish in a flash, made it a little more difficult to track her movements.

Midoriya knew that, if they wanted to win, they needed to land one decisive blow, preferably to Chisaki's head. A hit that would render Chisaki unconscious and, therefore, unable to fix the damage they dealt to him. When he moved in to deal such a blow, Chisaki was able to dodge him.

"No matter how fast you are, compared to the first three, the "approach" of your movements is straight forward and easy to see." Chisaki said, retaliating.

Halyn appeared at the last second, grabbing Midoriya and yanking him out of the way. If she had been slower or had not been there, the damage would have been bad. As it was. a piece of rubble stabbed through Midoriya's right arm and left leg.

"Deku?" Halyn asked, concerned.

"I'm fine." he assured her.

Halyn knew he was lying. She, herself, didn't feel pain anymore, but she knew pain when she saw it on someone's face. Midoriya was in pain, but he refused to give up.

"Honestly," Chisaki said, drawing their attention to him. "Although it's true I can "repair" things, it hurts quite a bit when they're disassembled. I've had enough of this"

"Not yet...!"

Halyn braced herself at Midoriya's side as he pushed himself to his feet. She hovered, just in case she needed to pull Midoriya out of the fray once more.

"Ahh...Lemillion held on the same way. The latent strength of a human who refuses to give in is not to be made light of." Chisaki remarked.

What happened next, Halyn didn't see coming. Spreading the fingers of one hand, a mouth appeared on the palm of Chisaki's hand, and started talking with Nemoto's voice.

"Because of you, I had to die again! Is this what you wanted, Eri?!" it screamed.

Halyn tensed, ready to attack, when a little, scared voice reached her ears.

"...not what I wanted...!"

Halyn and Midoriya whipped around, finding that Eri had gotten away from Mirio and had made her way back.

"Why...?! Stay away!" Midoriya yelled. "Eri, you need to stay with Togata!"

"Eri...do you think this boy and girl can overcome this situation on their own?" Chisaki asked.

"No..." Eri replied, voice small.

"In that case, what is it that you should do?" Chisaki demanded.

"Come back. And in exchange, you need to fix everyone back to normal!" Eri replied, slowly approaching.

"Indeed...rather than others getting hurt because of you, it's much easier for only you to be the one who gets hurt. You may have momentarily placed your hopes in Lemillion, and even that Fallout girl, but that fleeting hope that had begun budding within him has now been broken. Have you realized it yet? Your actions were the cruelest possible thing you could have done to Eri, and for that, you are unwanted." Chisaki said, aiming that last part at Midoriya and Halyn.

Across the room, Nighteye tried to get to his feet, tried to warn Midoriya and Halyn. In his fight with Chisaki, he had looked into Chisaki's future and had only seen a future where he, Midoriya, and Halyn would be killed, unable to save Eri. He knew it was impossible, that their mission was done. But even though it seemed impossible, Midoriya and Halyn were far from giving up.

"Even so," Midoriya said, yanking the stone from his leg. "Even if you think it's none of my business, you were crying! No one will die today! I **will** save you!"

Chisaki turned to face Midoriya and Halyn, only to find Halyn gone.

"No more lies."

Eri jolted, taken completely by surprise when arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind, a chin gently coming to rest on the top of her head. Twisting as Chisaki whipped around, Eri caught the glimpse of blue hair. There, behind her, holding her as softly and protectively as a mother or big sister would, was Halyn. Pulling back slightly, Halyn turned Eri until the little girl was facing her. Smiling, Halyn softly pet her hair.

"Do not listen to him, Eri. None of this, and I do mean **none of it** , is your fault. **You** are not the cause of this, **you** are not the one hurting others, and **you** no longer have to listen to his lies." Halyn told the child softly, staring her straight in the eyes. "I have been in your position before, Eri. I lived constantly being told that others were hurt because of my bad behavior. I lived with that guilt, fear, and blame, so trust me when I tell you...it's all lies. None of this is your fault. It's all his." Tears welled up in Eri's eyes as Halyn pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly. "You will not be left with this guilt anymore. We will put a stop to his lies and you will never have to be alone in fear again. If nothing else, please, as someone who has lived through the same thing, trust me."

Eri buried her face in Halyn's shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to believe Halyn, wanted to trust her, the kindness and care she could feel in the older girl's touch, and the small bud of hope in her chest, but she had lived so long knowing better. People got hurt when they tried to help her.

"Remember Eri... **I** can't be hurt." Halyn spoke softly.

That...was right!

She had seen Halyn take injury after injury and shrug it off like it was nothing while her body healed itself. If anyone could fight Chisaki, then it was her. Eri quickly quelled that surge of hope. She couldn't get her hopes up, couldn't let anyone else get hurt because of her.

"So cruel. You are only hurting her more." Chisaki told Halyn.

Cradling Eri to her chest, Halyn stood, holding the child protectively in her arms. Facing Chisaki, Halyn's eyes narrowed, her expression conveying just how displeased she was.

"The only one here hurting her, is you. I will not stand by and watch a child live in misery thanks to the lies weaved by the words of a madman! She deserves better than what you have given her and I'm going to see to it that she gets it! Lie through your teeth all you wish, but not you nor anyone else will hurt this child again!" Halyn declared. "I won't stand here and say you'll take her over my dead body because I have no intentions of dying. So give it your best shot, Chisaki. Better men than you have tried to break me and have failed. You will too."

"Please...stop..." Eri begged.

"Have faith in me, Eri. Have faith in Deku, Lemillion-senpai, and all of those here today, who just want to see you smile. Besides...we're about to have a few guests dropping in." Halyn replied.

Chisaki watched Halyn's lips curl into a smile...just moments before the roof caved in under the weight of Ryuukyuu, the man she was fighting, Uraraka, and Asui as they came to crash the party. With the appearance of Mr. Compress from the League of Villains, as well, Halyn got distracted. Something she knew better than to allow. It wasn't until Midoriya was rushing towards her and Chisaki disassembled and reassembled the ground under her feet, sending her flying, that she focused once more.

Chisaki took advantage of that moment of distraction and hit Halyn, hard, claws ripping into her side. As he knocked her aside, he ripped Eri free of her arms. With a curse, Halyn hit the ground below, rolling to her feet despite the blood now running from her injuries. Halyn knew she should have zipped up her hoodie before going into the fight. Fumbling with the zipper for a second, she did just that. At least it would help to keep her from getting anymore cuts.

Turning her attention up, she found Chisaki, Eri in his grip, reassembling the ground to act like an elevator, taking him straight for the surface. Halyn reacted just as Midoriya did, the two launching themselves up after Chisaki. It was from far below them that Halyn saw what happened next. Mirio's cape had, somehow, been blown upward. Reaching out, Eri snatched it from the air. It was then that the child's quirk activated and, as if reversing what Chisaki had done, she managed to separate Chisaki from Nemoto.

Halyn and Midoriya both grabbed hold of the other end of the cape then, pulling Eri towards them. Halyn pulled Eri into her arms, Midoriya grabbing ahold of her so that the three fell back towards the ground, together. Chisaki was not about to let them get away. With no concern for Eri, Chisaki attacked. Gripping Halyn and Eri closer, Midoriya swung his leg back and put all his might behind a kick.

Halyn felt, more than saw, the massive wind the kick caused. The sudden explosive power sent them rocketing up into the air and out the hole to the surface. When they landed, Halyn instantly released Eri, leaving the girl in Midoriya's arm. She expected Midoriya's legs to be broken and quickly turned to him only to find that he was fine.

"All my injuries have been healed!" Midoriya said, him and Halyn turning to Eri, who was now clinging to Midoriya. "Is that...your power?"

Midoriya suddenly jerked, gritting his teeth as pain suddenly shot through him. Eri backed away from him as Halyn moved to check on him.

"What's wrong?" Halyn asked.

"Now it feels like my body...is being pulled apart from the inside!" Midoriya told her.

Halyn looked from Midoriya to Eri. Was this a result of Eri's power. If so, then it should stop if she came in skin-to-skin contact with Eri once more.

"She's unable to control her power."

"Oh, boy." Halyn muttered the moment she heard that voice.

"By some chance, she was able to activate it, but you don't know how to stop it, do you Eri?!"

Midoriya and Halyn jumped into action, Midoriya snagging Eri as they darted in opposite directions, avoiding the attack that came from underground. Out of the ground came the new monstrous form of Chisaki. If asked to describe, Halyn would only have one word for it.

Hell.

"With Eri's quirk, she can rewind humans. Depending on how she uses it, she could probably revert a person to a monkey, if she tried. If you continue to hold her like that, you'll disappear. She can rewind anything she touches to nothingness. That quirk of hers is cursed. Return her to me. There's no way to stop her other than my disassembly!" Chisaki told them.

Which wasn't true. Halyn could stop Eri's quirk with her Null and Void. Turning, Halyn started to offer to take Eri, but, using Mirio's torn cape, Midoriya tied the girl to his back.

"I won't. No matter what." Midoriya declared. "I see...the instant my leg broke, before I could even feel pain...she "reverted" it for me. It's such a kind, gentle quirk. Don't you agree, Ha-chan?"

Halyn smiled, nodding her agreement with Midoriya. Sometimes, the boy took the words right out of her mouth.

"I do. There are so many good things she could do with a quirk like that. It's so much nicer than mine and most certainly is not a cursed quirk." Halyn agreed.

"Now that I've experienced how it feels...I understand! She continues to revert my body with blinding speed! In that case, if I'm constantly accumulating grave injuries at an even greater speed...Eri, will you lend me your power?" Midoriya asked.

"Neither the two of you nor Eri, understand the value of her power. By developing a quirk, you make leaps forward. Through extensive research, I have been able to extract Eri's power and successfully brought it to its pinnacle. And the result...is not merely the ability to rewind the body, no...but a flow that runs even deeper. The flow that brought about our kind...the ability to rewind back to before the mutation happened. That is the power that lives within Eri. The power to extinguishes one's quirk factor, returning them to normalcy! The power to destroy this world, built on top of quirks, the power to destroy the way of things...that is Eri!"

Midoriya and Halyn took a step closer to each other, their eyes open wide in horror as they watched Chisaki lay hands on the building around him, disassembling them to add to his new form. At this rate, he would disassemble half the neighborhood.

"She is not a product made for brats like you who can't appreciate her value!"

In a flash, Halyn vanished, Midoriya dodging Chisaki's attack. Halyn left Midoriya to distracting Chisaki, reappearing on a roof out of the way. From there, she watched, waited, her eyes searching for an opening that she could exploit in order to get close enough to take Chisaki's quirk. With the help of Eri's quirk, Midoriya was able to move faster than Chisaki was able to disassemble and reassemble in order to heal himself.

It was from her perch that Halyn watched Midoriya land that decisive blow that should have rendered Chisaki unconscious. Due to the over powering effect of Eri's quirk, Midoriya was driven to his knees, unable to move any further. Unable to move and fight back, Midoriya was left to the mercy of Chisaki when the man refused to go down. In a flash, Halyn was there, laying bare finger tips on Chisaki's temples.

"Copying my quirk...won't help you." Chisaki muttered.

"I told you, I don't copy quirks. My quirk is more cruel than that, for you see...I steal quirks." Halyn told him lowly.

It took a moment for Chisaki to feel it, but the moment Halyn fully grasped his quirk and the assimilation process started, the pain and discomfort set it. Halyn's own pain came just moments behind his. Halyn grit her teeth against the pain that ripped through her gut. Bracing herself, she refused to release Chisaki. As she pulled the quirk into herself, it forced the reassembling he had done on himself, to unravel, Chisaki splitting off from the underling he had used.

By the time she fully had the quirk, he had completely returned to normal. Fighting back her own pain, just for a moment longer, Halyn gripped Chisaki by the shoulders and, with all the strength she had left, threw the man over her shoulder.

"Ochako!" she called out as she finally gave into her body's desire to collapse.

Uraraka appeared, just as Halyn called her, grabbing Chisaki and flipping him until she had him pinned to the ground, arms twisted behind his back. Halyn hit the ground, spasms throughout her body causing her to roll onto ther side and curl in on herself. The settling process for a new quirk always played out like this. At least it did when she fully assimilated the quirk. It was like all of her insides had to rearrange in order to accommodate the new quirk.

It was from that fetal position that she caught sight of Midoriya. Eri had completely lost control of her quirk and it was basically ripping Midoriya apart. Ignoring the similar feeling of pain like that of her insides being ripped apart, Halyn drug herself over to Midoriya. Reaching them, Halyn forced herself to sit up reaching out to take Eri into her arms.

The moment Halyn's skin touched Eri's, Null and Void kicked in, shutting down the girl's quirk. Exhausted now from all the energy she had spent, Eri collapsed in Halyn's arms and Halyn, grateful that it was finally over, fell back onto her back, craddling Eri carefully against her chest. With Eri safe and Chisaki defeated, Uraraka handed Chisaki over to police and instantly made a dash for Halyn and Midoriya as Midoriya finally got it together enough to get up.

Midoriya took Eri while Uraraka crouched next to Halyn.

"Ha-chan?" Uraraka asked.

"The pain...urk! Will pass." Halyn assured her, her body tensing as another wave of sharp pain passed through her body.

It was the only time she ever felt pain and it was always so intense that it left Halyn wondering if she was going to die for it. Of course, she never did, but that just showed how intense the pain was.

"Ha-chan, your bleeding!" Uraraka said, noticing the trail of blood Halyn had left behind when she dragged herself over to Midoriya.

"When Chisaki took Eri...that last attack came after I had used all my healing energy." Halyn told her as Uraraka unzipped her hoodie to show the bloody gashes in her side where Chisaki had landed his attack. "These are going to have to heal normally until my energy comes back."

Halyn, despite her protests, was then loaded up onto a gurney to be loaded into an ambulance. Several of her comrades, also injured, were treated the same way. It was when they were wheeling her over towards an ambulance that Halyn caught sight of Kirishima on his own gurney, the top half of his body completely bandaged.

"Leander!" Kirishima called.

The paramedics brought Halyn to a stop as Fatgum and Amajiki also caught sight of her. Fatgum instantly hurried over to check on her, but between the still spasming stabs of pain in her body and the blood loss finally kicking in, Halyn wasn't very responsive. In the end, she was carted up with the other injured and taken to the closest university hospital.

Midoriya was also taken to the hospital. After a full examination, he met up with Aizawa who, thankfully, only had to have ten stitches.

"Sorry I wasn't able to keep up with you at critical moments. I even forgot the transmitter that Leander gave me in order to keep in contact with her." Aizawa told Midoriya as they walked down the hall.

"Oh no, that's completely fine! So how are the others?" Midoriya asked.

"Kirishima has immense bruising and lacerations all over his body, but it's not life threatening. Amajiki has a large fissure-like would on his face, but apparently it'll heal up without a trace, given time. Fatgum suffered numerous bone fractures, but he seemed to be doing fine. Rock Lock was very fortunate. The blade missed all of his internal organs, so none of his injuries were serious. As for Leander," Aizawa heaved a sigh. "She had four semi-deep gashes in her side. Due to fully assimilating another quirk and her body trying to adjust, her injuries aren't healing themselves. She had a total of sixty stitches, fifteen for each gash. She lost quite a bit of blood, as well, but she's recovering quietly. I'll have to talk to her later about rather or not she's going to keep this new quirk."

"Thank goodness!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"Eri, on the other hand, still hasn't woken up, and her fever won't go down. We have her quarantined for now." Aizawa added.

"Quarantined...? Oh, no...does that mean we can't even visit her?" Midoriya asked.

"This was a decision made based on the information you obtained about her. "She can't control her quirk that can turn back a person's time". Should anything happen to trigger her quirk again, we have no way of stopping it aside from me and Leander. You experienced her power by ceaselessly destroying your own body, right?" Aizawa asked.

"Yes."

"Not many people would be able to do that...and even if there were, she might just increase her power output."

"Yeah, I definitely felt her power getting stronger. If Ha-chan hadn't been there to negate her quirk..."

Midoriya couldn't even finish that sentence. It was a good thing that Halyn had been so close. One touch and Eri's power had just stopped.

"Because we don't know how strong it is, and to keep our minds at ease, I think this is the most rational option at the moment. We're doing this for her sake, too. It doesn't work on things like buildings or the ground, only on people, which means that it's not something we can easily train, discipline, or fine-tune. In other words, we can't rely on her quirk." Aizawa remarked.

"What do you mean?" Midoriya asked.

"All we can do is accept it. Also this is good timing. That guy's just arrived." Aizawa told him.

During the course of their conversation, the two had gotten on an elevator. Now, having arrived at their floor, Midoriya stepped off the elevator to find All Might and Recovery Girl waiting with Nighteye's sidekicks. It turned out that Bubble Girl had called All Might.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do." This came from a doctor that had been seeing to Nighteye. "Honestly, it's a miracle he's still alive right now."

"At this point, my powers won't help either." Recovery Girl said.

"I'm sorry to say this, but we don't think he'll last to see tomorrow." the doctor said.

"But...what about Ha-chan?! She has Chisaki's quirk now! She could fix him!" Midoriya said.

"Midoriya," Midoriya looked up at Aizawa. "Leander is currently unconscious. Assimilating quirks fully like that...her body is still trying to adjust and recover. Even if she was conscious, she wouldn't have any control over the quirk and could just make the situation worse. Unlike when she partially assimilates quirks, when she fully takes one in, her body has to have an adjustment period before she can use the quirk. Right now, she's recovering from blood loss and the spasms her body is still feeling. She needs time to heal."

Midoriya wanted to argue, but he knew Aizawa was right. Halyn, despite all she had overcome, was still human. There was only so much she could do and with the type of pain Halyn felt whenever she fully assimilated a quirk, Recovery Girl couldn't help her.

With that in mind, Midoriya and All Might went to see Nighteye for the last time.

-0-0-0-0-

Halyn was awoken just in time to be half dragged from her room by a hysterical Mirio. Limping and with nurses protesting the whole way, Mirio dragged Halyn to Nighteye's room. The two arrived to find Midoriya and All Might there before them.

"Senpai! Ha-chan!" Midoriya exclaimed.

Mirio rushed across the room to Nighteye's side, Halyn following at a slower pace, one arm wrapped around her stomach like that little action would actually keep her stitches from popping.

"No! Please don't die! You can't go! You just can't!" Mirio cried.

"Mirio...I've made you experience...so much hardship. If only I had...been more astute..." Nighteye told him.

"You taught me everything! It's because of you that I've gotten so strong! And it's because of you that I'm still alive here now! Please, you have to keep teaching me! You can't die!" Mirio told him, tears streaming down his face.

Halyn stepped up to Nighteye's other side as the man reached out to lay a hand against Mirio's cheek.

"It'll be alright. You are becoming an outstanding hero." Nighteye told Mirio. "This is...the only future...that we shouldn't change. So please, keep smiling. Society needs smiles, laughs, and energy to bring about a brighter future."

Halyn looked up at Mirio, finding him, Midoriya, and All Might all with tears streaming down their face. As Nighteye let his arm drop back to the bed, Halyn caught it in her two, making the man shift his eyes to her face.

"Allow me to use this newly acquired quirk to help you, sir. Please." Halyn begged, cradling his hand in her two.

"You and I both...know that you can't yet. Your body...is still spasming from pain...isn't it?" Nighteye asked.

Halyn was only mildly surprised that he could feel the spasming through her hands whenever one hit. By this point, the pain had lessened, but he was right. By all means, she shouldn't be standing, but she couldn't just leave this as it was. Despite how much she wished it was true, there wasn't anything she could do for him to help heal him. The thought had her grip on his hand tightening lightly.

"'A hero isn't someone who...can save everyone, but...someone who, sometimes with blind faith, gives their all...to save those in front of them.'."

Halyn jolted, shocked by the words that left Nighteye's lips. Turning her eyes to his face, she stared in surprise.

"That was..." Halyn trailed off in surprise.

"Maestro Felino had that much right." Nighteye said.

"Yes, he did, and as my mother would reply, "Faith is moving without knowing."." Halyn agreed.

Nighteye, and her father, were right. She couldn't save everyone, just as she couldn't save Nighteye. It hurt, knowing she couldn't save everyone, but, as a human, she had to accept that and work to save those that she could help. Right now, that wasn't Nighteye.

So she did the only thing she could do.

She smiled.

Giving Nighteye's hand a squeeze, she gave him a smile even as tears pooled in her eyes.

"It was a grand pleasure to know you, Sir." she told him softly.

Seeing her smile made Nighteye's smile just a little bit wider.

And then, with a peaceful smile on his face, Nighteye died.

END

Kyandi: I have to admit, reading the chapter in which Nighteye died, made me cry the first time.

Halyn: It was a sad scene.

Kyandi: Yeah. If I'm being honest, if I have been there for something like that, I would have cried like a baby.

Halyn: And you usually don't respond to sad scenes like that.

Kyandi: True. Usually, while everyone else is crying, I'm sitting there straight face, but with this, I cried.

Halyn: Well, you do have a heart.

Kyandi: Yep. Anyway, everyone enjoy and review!

Halyn: We'll be right back.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	34. Halyn and the Pussycats

Kyandi: We're back!

Halyn: We're going to make this quick because it's four a.m. here and Kyandi-sama needs sleep.

Kyandi: Yes I do, but first, I need to announce something.

Halyn: Oh! I know what it is!

Kyandi: Shush! Let me tell them. Anyway, all of you will be happy to know that I plan on doing a side story on the events of the My Hero Academia movie.

Halyn: It's going to be fun!

Kyandi: Yes it is. So with that bit of news, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 34 Halyn and the Pussycats

When Halyn and the others were finally discharged and sent home, Halyn was ready to be going home. They had to go through a lot of inquiries and a whole drawn out process, first, though, and, in the end, Halyn received a call from the Wild, Wild Pussycats. Though she was surprised for the reason behind the call, she was happy to accept the work.

With her head wrapped around what she would have to get up early for the next day, Halyn was taken off guard when they walked into the dorm only to be swarmed by the other members of their class.

"Are you guys alright?!" Mina asked.

"We saw it all on the news!" Yaoyorozu added.

"You guys always come back after getting mixed up with some crazy business! Quit scarin' us, damn it!" Kaminari yelled.

Halyn found herself pulled into a big hug by Toru, but only after she did the same thing to both Asui and Uraraka. Halyn gave the girl a pat on the back.

"I'm fine, Toru, but if you keep hugging me that tightly, I won't be." Halyn joked, Toru finally releasing her.

"Everyone! I know you were all worried, but! Let's calm down!" Iida called loudly. "You all saw the news, didn't you? So you know what they went through. As classmates, we should be sensitive to their feelings and let them rest. It's not just their bodies...their spirits must be hurting too."

"Iida." Iida turned to look at Midoriya when he called him. "Thank you, but...I'm alright."

"Well then...I was sooooo worried! None of you have the slightest idea how I-"

"You're the most intense one of all!" Sero butted in, cutting off Iida.

"I'll make some lavender herbal tea! It'll put your hearts at ease." Yaoyorozu said, turning to head for the kitchen.

"That's sweet, Momo, but count me out." Halyn said, drawing attention to herself. "I have an early morning tomorrow, so I'm going to bed."

After about half of her classmates asking if she was alright, and her assuring them she was, Halyn finally slipped away from her classmates. Not a few moments after her, Bakugo and Todoroki excused themselves too. Todoroki caught up with Halyn at the elevator, Bakugo deciding to take the stairs instead.

Halyn looked up from her phone when Todoroki caught the closing doors of the elevator, making them slide back open. A smile curled her lips when he stepped onto the elevator.

"Are you doing alright?" he asked instantly.

Halyn let a small laugh escape her lips. Leave it to him to be able to instantly know when her mind was somewhere else. And for him to instantly go to check on her. Sometimes she wondered what she had done to deserve his sweetness towards her.

"Oh, Shoto..." Halyn took the two steps into his arms, pressing her forehead to his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm fine, really. Just...still shaken. I wanted nothing more than to help Nighteye, but was unable to. I felt so...helpless."

"There was nothing you could do. You're healing quirk only heals you." he told her.

"But there was something I could do. The whole reason for my presence was to steal Chisaki's quirk from him completely so he could never use it against others, again. He had the ability to disassemble and reassemble anything, even people. It would have hurt him, but I could have restored him to perfect health, if only I'd had time to gain control of the quirk." Halyn told him.

At the mention that she had been requested to assimilate another quirk, Todoroki's grip on her tightened. She knew what was going through his mind and pulled back enough to look up at him.

"I'm fine, Shoto, so you don't have to grip me so tightly." she told him.

"You just recovered from assimilating too many quirks. To ask you to do it again..."

With a smile on her face, Halyn reached out one hand to cup his face, her thumb skimming over the burn on the left side of his face.

"I love that you're so concerned for me, Shoto, really, but I assure you, I'm fine. A little rest and I was back to normal. I just have to get up early tomorrow." she told him.

"What for?"

"The Pussycats called me and they want to meet with me and Aizawa-sensei tomorrow morning. Given all he's going to be tied up in, I'll probably have to go with another teacher and I'll probably be gone before your head out to your provisional license training, so I won't be able to see you off in the morning."

"That's alright. Any idea what they want?" Todoroki asked as they arrived on Halyn's floor.

"Not really. They just said they had a favor they needed to ask of me. I guess I'll find out in the morning." Halyn replied, Todoroki following her off the elevator. "Oh! I forgot to tell you. On my way home, I stopped by to see your mother."

"You did?" Todoroki turned a surprised look on her.

"I did. She was happy to see me. You know, you two really should switch to using phones over letters. I can understand and appreciate the sentiment behind a hand written letter, but it's also so much more of a hassel in a time when we have so much on our plates." Halyn told him.

"Maybe." was all Todoroki responded with.

"Are you upset with me for going without you?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, Todoroki looked down at Halyn, who was no longer smiling. Seeing his shock, she realized that, perhaps, it was a wrong thing to do and that he wouldn't be happy with it.

"No, I'm not. She likes you, so I'm sure she enjoyed the company. I just...it reminds me that I haven't been in a while." he told her honestly.

"Yeah, I figured. You're working so hard to catch up with the rest of us and your mother understands that. Believe me, she enjoys every letter she gets from you." Halyn assured him, putting a smile on his face.

By that point, they reached Halyn's door, the girl fishing her key out of her bag. Turning to look at him, she gave him a smile.

"I'll be sure to let you know the next time I go, though." she told him.

"Alright." Todoroki agreed, his eyes scanning her face. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I just feel so bad for Mirio-senpai, All Might, and Deku. Deku's taking it well, and when I last saw Mirio-senpai, he had a bright outlook, but...I know it hit Mirio-senpai and All Might really hard. They were both so close to Nighteye. I hate...I hate that there's nothing I can do to help them." Halyn told him. "My friend is hurting and there's nothing I can do or say to make him feel better that's not the usual, cliche, "It'll get better with time", you know? "

Whatever Halyn said, Todoroki could tell that this had hit her hard, too. It was for a different reason, since she really hadn't known Nighteye, but it still hurt her because she couldn't do anything to fix the problem that was causing her friends to be upset. It almost made him smile at just how compassionate she could be that, when one of her friends hurt, she hurt too. Reaching out, he took hold of her hand.

"Whether you believe it or not, you being there, is help enough. It's hard for people not to smile when you're around." he told her.

That put the smile back on Halyn's face. She gave his hand a squeeze as she smiled up at him.

"You always have a way of making me feel better, Shoto. What would I do without you?" she told him.

For a moment, she leaned into his side, just relaxing in his presence. Between her work study and his provisional license training, they didn't get a lot of time to just hang out. It was nice to just have a moment with just the two of them. She stayed like that for just a moment, before taking a deep breath in and releasing a long sigh. With that, she took a step back, smiling at him.

"I'll be fine. For now, I need to get to bed and I'm sure you need to as well." she told him.

"Yeah. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow when I get back." he told her.

"Alright. Good night, Shoto."

Halyn gave his hand one last squeeze before she released it, opened her door, and gave him a wave before she vanished into the room beyond. It had been a long few days and she was ready to fall into her bed.

If only she knew what the next day would bring her.

-0-0-0-0-

"You want what from me?"

Halyn, who currently found herself sitting in the offices of the Pussycats, could only stare at three heroes before her. When she had arrived with Nezu and Midnight as her escorts, Mandalay and Pixie-Bob had jumped right to business, surprising Halyn with what it was they had wanted to ask her.

"We know you just got done with a work study and after such a big fight, but..." Pixie-Bob trailed off, looking to Mandalay.

"We really could use someone who moves as fast as you do and with your unique skill set." Mandalay finish.

"Exactly what is going on that you are asking me, personally, to take a work study with you?" Halyn asked, curious.

"You've seen the reports on the news about the four man team that has been killing both pro heroes and villains, right?" Mandalay asked.

"Yeah, of course. Last news cast I saw said that their kill count was up to eight pro heroes and thirteen villains." Halyn replied.

"Their last two attacks were in a city that sits just beyond the edge of our territory. We have a feeling that this group is using our vast land as an escape route." Pixie-Bob confirmed.

"And you need me to...what?" Halyn asked, not sure how she would fit into this.

"You move better through mountain ranges than most, have tricks up your sleeves that they wouldn't see coming. We've come close, a few times, to capturing one of them, but they always manage to escape." Mandalay explained.

"With your newly acquired teleportation quirk, we might actually be able to capture one. Not to mention that you, like Eraser, can nullify their quirks." Pixie-Bob added.

"Only when I have skin-to-skin contact with them. I'd only be able to completely restrain one or two at a time." Halyn replied.

"That's long enough for us to render them unconscious." Mandalay assured her. "If they weren't giving us such trouble with catching them, we wouldn't have called you in."

Halyn could tell that they were being completely honest with her. They didn't want to put her into anymore harm's way than she had already been in, but they were desperate. Unsure on whether she even had the right to make such a decision, Halyn turned to Nezu.

"Principal Nezu? What do you say?" she asked.

"I can most certainly see why they request your assistance and, given recent circumstances, your current work study with the hero Fatgum, has been put on hold. You are, if you wish, free to take this work study with the Pussycats. They are an agency in good standing with the school, so the choice is your's." Nezu told her.

"I see. Thank you, Principal Nezu." Halyn told him, giving him a smile.

It still somewhat amazed her how he was able to understand her issue without her actually voicing it. Turning her focus back to Mandalay, Pixie-Bob, and Tiger, Halyn gave them a smile.

"If I can be of help...then count me in."

Pixie-Bob, happy that she had said yes, jumped at Halyn, hugging her around the neck. Though, she had just finished one stressful mission, she knew that pro heroes never got breaks. It was just more training for her life as a pro and she knew that the Pussycats would see to it that she was returned home every night, safe and sound.

Now it was just telling Aizawa.

-0-0-0-0-

That night, when they got home, Halyn got to hear all about Endeavor's appearance at Todoroki's provisional license training, as well as the grade school children that gave Todoroki, Bakugo, Yoarashi, and Camie a little bit of a run for their money.

Something that had Halyn laughing so hard she had flopped onto her side and rolled right off the couch, only to continue laughing as she lay on the floor.

Much to Todoroki's displeasure.

She had never taken Todoroki for much of a kid person, but just picturing what he had told her, was too hilarious. While she was gald to hear that it had all turned out fine, she still found herself wishing she had been there to see him and Bakugo struggle with the kids.

The next day, Halyn, along with Midoriya, Kirishima, Uraraka, Asui, and the Big Three, attended Nighteye's funeral with All Might and Aizawa as their escorts. With that, September had ended and with October came a change in temperature. The day after Nighteye's funeral, Halyn received her first call from the Pussycat's and had to go flying out of the dorm early in the morning, with Aizawa hot on her heels to make sure she made it safely to her ride.

By the time she arrived at the meeting place with the Pussycat's, she had managed to change into her hero costume in the back of the car and was just tying her capture scarf around her tail.

"Changed in a car?" Mandalay asked.

"Yep."

"I can't say there won't be any more days where you'll have to." Mandalay told her.

"I figured as much. So what's going on?" Halyn asked, Tiger handing her a headset so that she could communicate with them if they got too far apart.

"The group, as you know, is called Temple. They consist of their leader who calls himself Deathmarch, and three others by the names Bones, Maso, and Tepes. The four struck early this morning. About thirty minutes before we called you." Mandalay said as they started for the tree line, Halyn fixing the headset on.

"What makes you think they're still on your land?" Halyn asked, easily keeping up with the three pros.

"After the last couple of times, we had the local police take over patrolling the edges of our land. That way, if they enter, they won't get out without us knowing." Pixie-Bob explained.

"I see, so the problem then is that you have too much land to search acre by acre." Halyn mused.

"Exactly. That's where you'll come in. We have a piece of clothing from the villain they attacked. You'll get their scents from it." Mandalay said, passing Halyn a large, sealed bag.

Halyn took the bag, looking down at the blood stained hoodie inside. There was so much blood staining it, that it had Halyn frowning.

"The person they attacked..."

"Dead. There was no saving him when helped arrived." Pixie-Bob replied. "He was a villain wanted for several counts of armed robbery, assault, and two counts of murder."

"Even so...who are we to say it's alright to kill someone just because they have done so? I don't agree with what this villain did in his life, not one bit, but no one has the right to pass that judgement. We are not judge, jury and executioner." Halyn said, her tone giving away just how much she didn't like the idea of killing.

"No, we're not. Which is why we need to catch them." Mandalay agreed.

Halyn nodded in agreement. Unsealing the bag, she pulled the hoodie out. Activating Reborn Tiger, her physical appearance shifted to a more tiger-like appearance as her senses sharpened. Giving the hoodie a good sniff, Halyn was hit, first, with the scent of the hoodie's owner and the sharp, iron tang of blood. Under that, Halyn picked up the scent of a second person's blood and, at least, two different scents.

"I got the scents." Halyn reported.

"Then lead the way. We'll be right behind." Tiger ordered.

Halyn, with a bend of her knees, shot past the three pros, nose raised to the air as she ran, zig-zagging through the trees. It took a little while before Halyn finally picked up one of the scents that was on the hoodie. Whoever the person was, it was their blood that was mixed with that of the hoodie's owner. When Halyn's nose finally picked it up, she quickly changed course, following her nose. Judging by the strength of the scent, they weren't too far behind. That meant the group had just passed through that area of the mountain.

"Fallout?" Mandalay called when Halyn suddenly changed directions.

"I caught one of the scents. They passed through not too long ago." Halyn replied.

"About how long ago?" Pixie-Bob asked.

"I'm not sure. No more than half an hour, though." Halyn answered. "Any idea what these guys' quirks are?"

"No. They've always managed to give us the slip without using their quirks." Mandalay replied.

"Then when we get close, I'm switching to cautious mode. No point in running in when I know nothing of their quirks." Halyn warned.

"Good idea." Mandalay replied.

Halyn turned her attention back to following the scent. The group, whoever they were, were clever to make their way through a stream, hoping to wash their scents away, but the thing about the smell of blood was that it was a powerful scent. Even going through the water, Halyn could still pick up the smell of blood on the other side.

After twenty minutes on the trail, Halyn finally caught sight of the four figures booking it through the trees.

"Heads up, they're up ahead." Halyn reported.

"Fall back behind us." Mandalay ordered.

Halyn slowed her pace, letting the three pros pass her. While they charged ahead to confront the four villains, Halyn slipped into the background, vanishing among the trees. The Pussycats knew that she was merely hiding out of sight until she saw an opening to use, so, without another thought of where she went, they attacked.

One member of the group moved into their direct path. He was a large guy, his hooded and sleeveless, long coat worn open, his chest bare beneath. A mask shaped like a animal skull, hid the top half of his face. The moment he was in their path, white growths broke free of his body, creating a barrier between him and the Pussycats.

Tiger hit the barrier first, finding that it was composed of bones, though these were far stronger than the average bone. It took more to break them, but they made it through.

"That has to be Bones." Mandalay remarked, the three making it past the barrier only to find another Temple member awaiting them.

This one was smaller than the first, a stark white mask smeared with what looked like blood, covering his whole face. Reaching into the folds of his hooded coat, he pulled out four knives in each hand. He threw them, Manadlay and Tiger ducking to the side to avoid them. But, of course, it wouldn't be that simple. Pixie-Bob called a warning to Tiger as the knives suddenly changed their path, completely turning around to fly for Tiger's unguarded back.

Tiger jumped out of the way once more, but the knives continued to follow him. Mandalay turned to help him, but only took one step before a fire-like pain shot through her body. Gasping in pain, Mandalay dropped to one knee. She couldn't figure out what was causing the pain, until she looked up, finding the smallest member of Temple, crouched at the top of an incline.

The masquerade mask this member wore, hid their eyes, but it showed off the wide grin they had on their face. Mandalay knew this member was the one called Maso, and she was pretty sure that the pain she was feeling, was somehow a part of this member's quirk. She didn't know how the quirk worked, but she knew exactly how to stop it.

"Fallout!" she gasped out.

The other three members of Temple turned when, in a flash of electric bolts, Halyn appeared to tackle Maso. Almost as soon as Halyn laid hands on Maso, Mandalay's pain vanished. Halyn wrestled with Maso for a minute, finally managing to pin the villain on their stomach and twist their arms up behind their back.

"Tiger! Now!" Halyn called.

Tiger charged forward to do his part and knock Maso out, but Bones beat him to it. Halyn, reacting on instinct, vanished in a flash, taking Maso with her. She reappeared closer to Mandalay, her grip on Maso tightening as her world spun. She still wasn't use to moving others with her. Maso took the chance to start fighting her. Halyn wrestled with the villain, fighting to keep them pinned. When she got Maso but under control, Halyn chanced a look up.

And came face to face with knives coming straight for her.

Though it would make her dizzy once again, Halyn did the only thing she could do without letting go of her prisoner. She teleported. When she reappeared, it was in front of Tepes, the one controlling the blades, and she was already in mid-kick, her boot aiming for Tepes' gut. She ended up putting more strength behind the kick than she really meant to, the force of the kick sending Tepes flying back off his feet. Maso took the chance to fight for freedom once more.

Halyn was knocked off balance when Maso suddenly jerked forward. She only caught movement in the side of her eyes as a warning and moved, launching herself into the air. She avoided the attack from Bones, but had to release her prisoner to do so.

"Damn it! Maso's free!" Halyn called in warning to her comrades.

Jumping further back from Maso and Bones, Halyn crouched down, her tail swaying as she quickly took stock of the situation. Tiger and Pixie-Bob had their hands full trying not to get cut to shreds by Tepes' knives and Mandalay was caught up handling the last one, who could only be the group's leader, Deathmarch. That meant she was on her own with Bones and Maso.

Halyn fixed her eyes back on the two in front of her. There was a frown on Maso's face and Halyn had a pretty good idea on why. While she had her hands on Maso, she had assimilated a part of Maso's quirk in order to understand how it worked. Maso's quirk caused intense pain in their opponent, but only if they could see their opponent, but it would also cause a fraction of the same pain for Maso.

Which explained the name.

Halyn was sure that Maso was attempting to their quirk on her now, but there was a slight problem with that. Well...two problems.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but not only will your quirk not work on me, I have negated your quirk. You'll be unable to use for a while." Halyn informed Maso. "And for your information...I can't perceive pain."

Bones and Maso watched in surprise as Halyn's limbs begun to transform, black striped, blue fur sprouting over her skin. At the same time, flames erupted over her arms, spreading up them until they reached her shoulders. Since she didn't have any energy from an enemy's attack to charge her supermove Starburst Tigerlily, she would use the primary form of the attack; Igneous Tiger.

Bones and Maso darted apart, one of them cursing when Halyn launched herself forward. Bones, however, didn't move fast enough and had to cross his arms in front of him to try to reduce the damage. The impact still sent him crashing through a few trees. If it had been a normal person who couldn't strengthen their bones into something akin to armor, then Halyn was sure that attack could have done some serious damage. As it was, she was displeased to see that all she left behind was burns and bruises.

 _He could have, at least, had the decency to be rendered unconscious_. Halyn thought sourly.

Well, two could play the reinforced game.

Halyn shoved away from Bones, flipping backwards. She slid a few feet before coming to a stop in a crouch, her hands placed firmly on the ground. This would be the first time she used this quirk outside of training and it would be the first time she used it on this big a scale.

"Mandalay! Tiger, Pixie-Bob! Brace yourselves!" she called, not bothering to check that they heeded her warning.

Without a single hesitation, Halyn completely disassembled everything in a fifty yard radius around her, upsetting everyone, and reassembled it around her own body, adding a reinforced layer shaped almost like that of a tiger. If it wasn't for all the training she had put into her leg strength, she didn't think she would have been able to move.

 _This must be what Kirishima feels like in his Unbreakable form_ , she thought as she shifted.

It was a little more difficult to move, but she would manage. When next she pounced, Bones didn't even try to defend against it. He flat out ran after shoving Maso out of the way. Halyn crashed into the ground, the weight of her new armor causing a crater. She didn't give up and instantly went after Bones. For her, Maso wasn't a threat, though Halyn knew Maso still posed a threat to the Pussycats, but Bones currently ranked as the bigger threat to Halyn.

The next hit landed and sent Bones flying off his feet and crashing through trees towards Mandalay and Deathmarch. The two were forced to jump apart as Bones went crashing through the trees. They both watched as Bones came to stop among a pile of broken limbs and broken-in-half trees. The two stared for a moment before both turned to look at Halyn, just as she pounced again. Bones only had time to roll out of the way before Halyn crashed mercilessly into the spot he had just occupied.

Deathmarch stared after her in amazement, frozen on the spot as he watched the power Halyn mercilessly displayed. Even Mandalay attacking him and only being stopped by Tepes, didn't break his focus from Halyn as she continued her one-sided attack on Bones. He seemed almost hypnotized by the sight of Halyn in action. It wasn't until Bones came to a sliding halt beside him that he snapped out of it.

"Rückzug!" Deathmarch yelled.

To Halyn's ears, his voice sounded mechanical, as if produced from a voice changer or artificial voice box. As soon as he yelled the single word, he and Bones turned on their heels and ran, Maso following. Tepes brought up the rear, holding them back with his knives. Ignoring the knives, Halyn braced herself to launch another attack. The moment she launched herself forward, a sudden fog filled the area so thick, Halyn couldn't even see her hand in front of her face.

All the Pussycats saw, was Halyn vanishing into the fog before they heard a crash.

"Fallout?" Mandalay called, concern about what could have happened.

"That was a bad idea."

The three pros hurried through the fog, finding Halyn as the fog cleared. Blinded by the fog, and moving too fast to change directions on the drop of a pin, Halyn had accidentally crashed into a tree. The three pros found her at the base of a tree, laying on her back with her feet above her head and her tail lashing in annoyance as her newly assembled armor crumbled away. Heaving a huff, she blew her bangs out of her eyes as she looked up at the Pussycats.

"Anyone want to take a guess at who that quirk belonged to? Because I'm pretty sure it didn't belong to Maso or Bones." Halyn remarked.

"Perhaps it was Tepes and that was how he controlled the knives." Pixie-Bob remarked as she and Mandalay helped Halyn to her feet.

"I don't know about that. I didn't see any fog, but that doesn't mean that couldn't be the case. All I know, is it it's an annoying quirk. I hate going in without knowing the quirks of those I'm going up against." Halyn remarked.

"We all do. Are you alright?" Mandalay asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was able to assimilate part of Maso's quirk, so I understand how that one works, at least." Halyn replied. "Should we go after them?"

As if to answer the question, there was a ring that had Pixie-Bob answering the cellphone feature on her headset.

"Yeah...? They did? What direction?" Pixie-Bob listened to the person the other end before hanging up and turning to the others. "That was one of the police officers patrolling around our land. The Temple group blew past them, heading north."

"Meaning they're off our land." Mandalay said, heaving a sigh.

"What do we do?" Halyn asked, looking up at her. "I could still track them."

"No. Now that we have more information on them and their quirks, we're going to go report to the local police. They'll help us with spreading word to other pros in the area so that'll we'll all be better equiped. You can share what you learned, as well." Mandalay told her. "Besides, I think it would be a good idea to have some reinforcements the next time. I didn't like how you ended up facing off against two of them at once."

"I agree. You did a great job, but that still makes me uneasy." Pixie-Bob agreed. "Also, did you see how their leader fixated on her?"

Halyn hadn't even noticed, she had been too busy trying to do her job. It was a little difficult to notice when someone was watching her when she had been a little tied up with not getting her head bashed in by cub-shaped bone.

Little did she know, she was center in Deathmarch's mind.

-0-0-0-0-

Later that night, Halyn left the police station once again in her civilian clothes and exhausted. She had just spent the better part of three hours helping the Pussycats to debrief the local police, as well as sharing with them what she had managed to pick up in the brief skirmish with the members of Temple.

By the time she left the police station, she was tired and ready to get home. After all the past events of the last few months, Mandalay had offered to see Halyn home since the school didn't want Halyn out on her own.

They were leaving the station when someone caught Halyn's eyes. Asking Mandalay to hold on, Halyn looked both ways before rushing across the street towards the person she had seen.

"Endeavor!"

Endeavor turned when he heard his name being called and saw Halyn hurrying his way, a smile on her face. She was the last person he expected to see out on the street. He especially didn't expect her to be a person to approach him with a smile on her face.

"Good evening. Heading home from the office?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Good. How would feel about seeing me home to the dorms? I have something I want to talk to you about."

Despite the smile on her face, Endeavor had a feeling he might end up regretting this.

-0-0-0-0-

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Endeavor was already starting to regret agreeing to take this girl home and talk to her. Sitting at an outdoor cafe, he scowled deeply as, sitting across from him, Hlayn was currently lost in endless peals of laughter. Crossing his arms over his chest, Endeavor frowned at her, clearly displeased with her merriment at his expense.

"I'm sorry! So sorry! I really shouldn't laugh, but...you **so** do not seem like a man who would suffer a complex simply because his teenage son won't answer his texts! And for your sidekicks to be the ones to point it out!" Halyn exclaimed, attempting to rein in her laughter. "Then again, going off what Shoto has told me, I can kind of see it."

Endeavor's attention was captured by what she said then. Raising his eyebrow, he uncrossed his arms, laying his hands on the table. Halyn was too busy stirring chocolate and whipped cream up in her ice coffee to notice the shift in his attention.

"What has he told you?" Endeavor asked.

Halyn grinned, flashing feline-like fangs at him while her tail curled. She let him suffer for a moment while she took a drink of her coffee.

"Endeavor, sir, your son tells me **everything**. Every single text you send him, the fact that you showed up at his provisional license training, everything." Halyn informed him with a grin. "Nothing is a secret between us, though, if I tell him that I met you while I was out today, he won't be pleased, so I might just keep that between the two of us for now."

Halyn gave him a smile, holding one finger before her lips, as if asking him to keep the secret. If it meant that Todoroki wouldn't blow up at him, then he wouldn't say a word.

"He told me what you said to him after the training, too. I'm sorry he responded so badly." Endeavor looked up at Halyn who gave him a sympathetic smile. "I would like to say that it won't happen again, but I can't. No worries, though...he'll come around. You just have to give him time."

"How do you know that?" Endeavor asked, sharply.

"Because I know Shoto."

The look on Halyn's face took on a more fond and dreamy state, adoration and fondness making her smile softer. When her eyes met his, they narrowed as her smile only grew wider.

"You and Shoto, both, have changed, grown, so much since I've first met you both. Shoto's more open, more willing to share and rely on others. As for you...you're really growing into your own as the number one hero. Congrats on that, by the way." she told him.

Endeavor scoffed. It wasn't how he wanted to get the title and there was still a lot of bad feelings where that was concerned. Halyn could see that in the expression on his face.

"You're not happy with the state of things, I get it." Halyn remarked, lifting her cup to her lips once more. "You wanted to be number one under your own might and on your own terms, not because the previous holder of the title lost his juice. It feels like its just been handed to you and the feeling sucks. I get it, but you're failing to realize something."

"And what is that?" he asked.

"All these years, you've stood at the base of the mountain All Might has built as number one." Halyn started, setting her cup aside. "You've stood there, staring up and wondering, "How can I ever reach the top?". You struggled to scale that mountain, to live up to, and surpass, All Might. What you failed to realize is...that's not the only mountain you can climb."

Endeavor wasn't sure he got what Halyn was trying to get at. Halyn could see his confusion and smiled, even as he spoke.

"What are you getting at?"

"I mean that in your struggle to scale All Might's mountain, you've completely neglected your own. Each of us are different, Endeavor. We excel in different areas, have different kinds of greatness in ourselves. What made All Might great, made his mountain so tall and vast, is not what will make your's the same way. Different mountains have different terrains and paths, different way they have to be climbed. Stop trying to climb All Might's and get to work conquering your own! I assure you...it'll be just as high and great, if not more so. You'll stand at the top as a Symbol of Peace of your own making, not anyone else's."

Endeavor stared at Halyn, surprised by how spot on she was with what was bothering him. Seeing the look on his face, Halyn's tail curled once more in amusement.

"Shoto has the exact same look when I shock him." she remarked. "You two are more similar than either of you want to admit."

"We are? How so?"

"You're both stubborn. Really stubborn. And you both have the same temper, though Shoto isn't as quick to shout as you are. In fact, around me, he never raises his voice. I take that's from his mother. You both also get the same overly determined look on your faces when there's something you really want. Of course, I can't say anything of this to Shoto. Though, his mother secretly agrees with me." Halyn told him.

"You've met Rei?" Endeavor asked.

"Yeah. Shoto took me to the hospital so he could introduce us a while back. I go and see her as much as I can. Sometimes I go with Shoto, but because of his provisional license training, I go by myself more often than not. She's a really sweet woman and she seems to like the company." Halyn told him.

As if he hadn't been thinking enough about his wife as it was. The mention of her now, had Endeavor focusing his eyes on his hands as they curled into fist. He was starting to realize how badly he had messed up with his family.

"You know she's already forgiven you, right?" Endeavor's eyes flew up to Halyn's face. She gave him a sweet smile. "While she's still a little too scared to see you, face-to-face, she has forgiven you. So has Fuyumi, as far as I know. Now Shoto...like I said, that'll take time. I'm working on it, though."

"Why do you care if he forgives me?" Endeavor asked her, curious as to why she was putting so much effort into it.

"Because...I know what it feels like when it's too late."

The look on Halyn's face as she looked down at her own hands, was sad. Endeavor had a good idea what she was thinking. He had heard the reports about one of the Nomus that had attacked the summer camp, just like most pros who had taken part in the rescue later on.

"Your father?" he asked.

"Yes. A lot has happened and I know better now than I did then, but now...now it's too late. I can no longer look him in the eye and apologize or forgive anything. It's because of that, that I know, if Shoto doesn't learn to forgive now, then he'll regret it when it's too late. No matter how angry, or how hurt, you are, no one should go through their lives hating their father. Hate just...it darkens a heart. I don't know who said it, but I remember a quote I saw once that said, "Hate is just a word for somebody you love but no longer believe in.". I think that fits with you and Shoto. I mean, after all...you are his father. Regardless of what you do, part of him will always love you, and I think that fact is part of what makes him so mad." Halyn told him.

"You seem to know him better than me." Endeavor said.

Halyn let out a little laugh. Pulling her cup to her, she fiddled with the straw, the fond smile back on her face.

"I don't know about that. I just...I just spend more time with him now. I like to think I know him pretty well and that we're pretty close." Halyn admitted.

It was in that moment, looking at the look on Halyn's face, that Endeavor realized something.

Halyn, truly and honestly...was in love with his son.

He could see in the way she smiled, the look in her eyes as she spoke about his son. What had started out with him wanting Halyn as his son's future wife for nothing more than her quirk, had turned into honest-to-God love. At least where Halyn was concerned. Endeavor didn't know if his son felt the saw way about her.

Finally realizing he was staring at her in surprise, Halyn looked up at him, blinking in questioning.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing. How are you doing, anyway? I heard it took you a few days to wake up after the incident in the Kamino Ward." Endeavor said, changing the subject.

"Ah...that."

Endeavor raised an eyebrow when that was all Halyn said. The girl fiddled with her cup, turning it in her hands as she stared at it.

"Is that all you're gonna say?" Endeavor demanded.

Halyn heaved a sigh. Sitting back in her chair, her eyes rose to look at him.

"You were there, were you not? When I was rescued from All for One?" she asked.

"I was."

"Then you heard him. You heard about the connection between him and me."

Endeavor didn't answer, just met her eyes. Not that she needed him to answer. She could see the answer in his eyes as he looked back at her. Heaving another sigh, she sat her cup aside.

"The thing is, All Might had enough foresight to order a DNA test while I was unconscious. Can you take a guess at what the result were?"

"It came back positive?!" Endeavor asked.

Halyn nodded. It still was a little upsetting to think about the blood connection between her and All for One, but it didn't make her want to lay, depressed, in her bed all day.

"The results confirmed that we are, in fact, connected by blood. And believe me, the irony of the situation is not lost on me." Halyn remarked. When Endeavor only raised an eyebrow at her, Halyn continued. "I come from a long line of heroes. My brothers, my parents, their parents and even their parent's parents, were all heroes. It's ironic that that long line of heroes all started with a villain."

Now he got where she was coming from. It really was a bit ironic if one thought about it. Though, with all that was discovered about Halyn and the origin of her quirk, he was sure a better word for it, was cruel. To idolize and work so hard to be like her hero parents, only to find out that she descended from a villain? To someone like Halyn who took pride in her hero blood, it had to be a blow to find out that that long line of heroes started with the biggest villain to ever walk the planet.

"I've been through a lot in my short life. First Flame Lash and then All for One, and now all my teachers are scared at the League is out to get me. But you know what..." A small curled Halyn's lips. "It's because of all of that, because of all the trials and challenges, that I know exactly who I am. It had reconfirmed my drive to be a hero and thanks to that, I don't question who I am or what I want to be. I want to be a hero that always strives to save others from suffering as I have. Its why I kind of see my inability to correctly feel pain as a gift from God. It means one less anchor to hold me back."

"You're an optimist." Endeavor grumbled.

"Maybe, but being pessimistic isn't going to get me anywhere in life. It's true that I've been beaten, bruised and have felt pain and despair, but I just have to remember what my mother use to tell me. When I was little, and someone would pick on me, she always use to tell me that "Love is still the answer, more than hate will ever know". Her words always gave me courage and hope. Something I want to give back to others because, what is the point if I can't give the good to others what was always given to me? **That** is my mountain. See? Everyone's is different."

Halyn gave Endeavor a bright smile, bringing their whole conversation around in a full circle so that they were back to one of their original topics. Endeavor couldn't help but wonder if she did that to his son, as well. He had a feeling that if it was something she really wanted to make a point with, then she did do the same thing with him.

"But that's just my opinion. It's your choice if you want to listen to the words of an optimistic high school girl." Halyn told him, grinning widely.

High schooler she might be, but the girl had been in more life-or-death fights with villains than some pro heroes.

Not that he was going to admit this out loud.

"Hmph. I'll keep that in mind. Let's go. I don't want to listen to Eraserhead's complaints if you get back late." Endeavor said, getting to his feet.

For a moment, Halyn remained seated, watching him as he headed over to the hostess to pay for their drinks. Watching him change gears quickly like that, had a smile curling Halyn's lips as she fought back another laugh. Getting to her feet and grabbing her costume case, Halyn could only think one thing.

Like father, like son.

END

Kyandi: I don't know if I could laugh in Endeavor's face. I'd be afraid of him trying to roast me.

Halyn: Oh, he's not as bad as he's made out to be.

Kyandi: So you're saying he's a really good guy.

Halyn: Oh, good gracious, no! He's a jerk, plain and clear, but he's not completely bad. He just has temper issues.

Kyandi: Temper issues is right. Anyway, I need sleep.

Halyn: Right. Then goodbyes are in order.

Kyandi: Yep. Everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	35. Agenda

Kyandi: Hey, Kyandiacs!

Halyn: We're back!

Kyandi: Sorry it took so long. My muse went a little off track for a while.

Halyn: But she's back now.

Kyandi: Yep. On another note...this coming Friday, August 16th, I'm going to be at AnimeFest in Dallas, Texas.

Halyn: She's so excited, she made a special hoodie to wear.

Kyandi: Yep. So, if any of you are going to be in the area or at AnimeFest that day, keep an eye on my Twitter. I'll have a surprise for you all.

Halyn: Until then, we have a chapter to update, right?

Kyandi: Yep. So, everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 35 Agenda

"Oh, come on, Shoto. Are you still sulking about the other night?"

Todoroki didn't turn to look at Halyn when she spoke. He merely continued walking down the path to the main school building. Halyn was trailing behind him, clasping her school bag behind her back as she tried to peer up at his face. When he still didn't answer her, she darted ahead of him and stepped into his path, her hands on her hips.

"Alright, seriously, what's going on here? Are you really that upset?" she demanded. "If you got something to say, Shoto, then say it. Or do you prefer our relationship be one of silently fuming at each other until we can't stand being near each other?"

Todoroki came to a stop, staring her in the face. For a moment, she thought he would merely remain silent and continue on to class without telling her a thing. Then, with a twist of his mouth at her last sentence, he spoke.

"What were you doing with him?" Todoroki asked.

"Honestly, Shoto. I already told you. He was merely making sure that I got back to campus and to the dorms from my work study." Halyn told him.

"What did he want?" Todoroki asked.

"Nothing. I was actually the one that called out to him. Mandalay, Pixie-Bob, and Tiger still had a lot of work to do and your dad was the first pro I saw. I actually spent a good amount of the time laughing at him." Halyn told him, her tail curling in amusement as she thought back on it. "Did you know that his sidekicks are referring to this whole situation between the two of you as his Shoto Complex?"

While he could see why Halyn found this to be funny, Todoroki didn't find it funny at all. When he had seen his father walking Halyn towards the dorms a few nights ago, he could have sworn his blood ran cold in his veins. Halyn swore that Endeavor didn't want anything from her and that he hadn't tried to get her to do anything, either, but Todoroki still didn't like the idea of Endeavor being alone with Halyn. She had been through enough in the past few months alone that Todoroki didn't want his father to do anything to add to it.

Halyn deserved a little peace.

Not that he was going to tell Halyn that.

She was the kind of person that if he tried to insist she not do something, she would go right ahead and do it anyway, just because she would never let him, or anyone else, think, for even a moment, that they could tell her what to do. If he told her not to talk to his dad, she would go and do it even more.

Seeing the look on his face, Halyn's smile turned from an amused one to one of understanding. Stepping up to him, she took his free hand in her two, sitting her school bag at her feet.

"Come on, Shoto. All we did was talk about random things. I thanked him for his part in helping Ka-chan and I, we talked about my father for a little bit, I laughed at him about his so called "Shoto Complex", and that was about it. There's no reason for you to be so upset." Halyn gave him that smile that she reserved just for him, tilting her head to the side. "Please. We don't get to spend enough time together these days for us to spend it with you being upset with me."

"I'm not upset with **you**." Todoroki told her. "I just don't like the idea of you being alone with him."

"I promise, he was on his best behavior the whole time. So can we please move on? I'm exhausted enough without having to go through all of this, too."

While he still didn't like the idea that she had been with his father, he would, as she asked, move on.

For now.

Letting her keep hold of his hand, Halyn picked up her bag in her free hand and the two continued on to class. After so many months of seeing the two so close, no one gave them a second glance as they walked down the halls, talking, hand in hand. After talking to Halyn and getting his thoughts off his chest, Todoroki seemed to be in a better mood the rest of the day.

That is, until lunch rolled around.

Almost as soon as the lunch bell rang, Halyn's classmates started in on her, wanting to know details about her work study with the Pussycats.

"I honestly don't get what's so exciting about it." Halyn remarked as she headed for the classroom door, Todoroki, Midoriya, Uraraka, Iida, and a few other of her classmates behind her. "And I'm not really suppose to be discussing the case here at school."

"Can't you, at least, tell us how you feel the case is coming along?" Mina whined as Halyn opened the classroom door, her eyes fixed on her classmates instead of the open doorway behind her.

"To be honest? I feel like-"

"'A lady librarian from Tacoma whose madness was a tea party'?"

Halyn froze on the spot when a new voice suddenly butted in. Turning on the spot, she turned to look at the boy now standing behind her, responding with a line she had not been able to speak in three years.

"'That's the good part of dying; when you've nothing to lose, you run any risk you want.'."

A grin spread across the boy's face and, in that moment, Halyn knew exactly who it was. It had her eyes widening, a truly joyful smile curling her lips before she was throwing herself at the boy.

"Gabriel!"

The boy scoped Halyn up, hoisting her up high as he hugged her back. Halyn gave him a tight squeeze before she pulled back to look down at his face, her tail happily swishing back and forth.

In the three years since she had last seen him, he had gotten taller and had lost his boyish looks for a more grown-up look. He still had the same blonde hair that was now worn long in a pulled back style, the same purple eyes, and the same devil-may-care grin. Now, though, it was accompanied with a face that was less boyish charm and more handsome and a tall, well built body that was the perfect balance of lean and muscled. He had grown so much taller since the last time she had seen him that he now stood about six feet tall, making him taller than even Iida.

"My gods, it's been three years. I've missed you!" Halyn said, hugging him once again.

"And I've missed you, too, _kleine tigerin_." Gabriel replied.

Hearing him call her "little tigress" in German again, like he had done when they were younger, just made Halyn smile even more. She was so happy about seeing an old friend once more that she was oblivious to the displeased, almost sulking look on Todoroki's face as he watched the two.

"What are you doing here?" Halyn asked as she was finally set back on her feet.

"Doesn't the uniform give it away?" It was only when he pointed it out that Halyn realized that Gabriel was wearing a school uniform. "When we parted ways three years ago so you could attend a middle school to prepare you for UA, I got to thinking and decided that if you were going to attend here to be a hero, then I would get in and support you from the support classes. It took a bit longer with my transfer process, but I finally got in."

When he told her this, Halyn's tail curled in joy before it went to happily swaying once more. Her classmates had only seen her tail respond like that when it was Todoroki or her brothers. A fact that made Todoroki frown even more.

"Aw, Gabriel, that's so sweet! Well, I'm so happy to see you again!" Halyn replied.

Finally having a little pity on Todoroki and his obvious jealousy, Mina decided to butt into the conversation. She had a feeling that if this continued then Todoroki might accidentally set something on fire and that was the last thing they needed.

"Ha-chan! Who's this?" Mina asked, suddenly popping up beside Halyn.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Guys, this is Kaiser Gabriel. He's a really old friend of mine from back home. We met not long after the whole incident with Flame Lash. He was the first friend I made after that." Halyn said, introducing Gabriel. "Gabriel, these are my classmates. Our class president, Iida Tenya, this is Midoriya Izuku, Uraraka Ochako, Ashido Mina, and Asui Tsuyu. Over there is Kirishima Eijirou, Kaminari Denki, and Mineta Minoru. Those girls are Yaoyorozu Momo, Hagakura Toru, and Jiro Kyoka. The others have already headed off to lunch. And this," Halyn left Gabriel's side to step up beside Todoroki, wrapping her arms around one of his. "Is my best friend, Todoroki Shoto."

"Best friend? You've already given my title up to someone else?" Gabriel asked, raising an eyebrow at Halyn.

"Of course not! A girl can have more than one best friend. Shoto's just been the absolute best to me." Halyn insisted. "In fact, you should join us for lunch and see for yourself! We have so much to catch up on."

"Yes, we do." Gabriel agreed.

Halyn smiled happily, focusing her attention, then, on checking with the rest of her friends if it was alright with them. Doing that, she completely missed the intense stares Todoroki and Gabriel fixed on each other. When she turned her attention back, Todoroki looked away from Gabriel and Gabriel gave Halyn a smile.

"It's alright with you, right, Shoto?" Halyn asked.

"Sure."

It wasn't like Todoroki could say no. If he flat out denied her request, then it would upset Halyn and that was always the last thing he wanted to do. Besides, seeing the smile she gave him, was more than worth it.

So, Gabriel joined them for lunch.

The whole way to the lunch room, Halyn and Gabriel talked, Halyn paying more attention to him than to Todoroki who was walking on her other side. When they got their lunches and sat down, Gabriel claimed the last seat next to Halyn before Todoroki could, leaving Todoroki to sit across from her.

All of which had him in a bad mood.

"So, hey, what was up with the way you two greeted each other?" Mina asked Halyn.

"Oh, that. When we were about ten, we went to see the play _Fahrenheit 451_ and liked it so much that each of us picked our favorite line from the play and from then on, whenever we greeted each other, we would say the other's line. My was "A lady librarian from Tacoma whose madness was a tea party" and his was "That's the good part of dying; when you've nothing to lose, you run any risk you want."." Halyn explained. "It's just a thing we've always done."

"Our thing." Gabriel added.

Across from Halyn, Todoroki was mulishly slurping back noodles. It was obvious to everyone but Halyn, who was too focused on Gabriel, that Todoroki was not happy with the current situation. When Halyn spent all of lunch talking to Gabriel, and even made plans to hang out on her next day off, Todoroki's mood only got worse.

Usually, Halyn's days off were spent with Todoroki, going with him to visit his mother. For her to mindlessly just agree to hang out with Gabriel instead...Todoroki had the strong urge to act like a child and tell Gabriel that she couldn't go because she already had plans with him, when he knew he couldn't make decisions for Halyn. So he remained quiet, deciding to talk to Halyn when they were alone.

Halyn continued to talk to Gabriel, the two catching up. Even when they finished lunch and walked back to the classroom, Halyn and Gabriel talked the whole way.

When they reached the classroom door, Gabriel, to Todoroki's greatest annoyance, wrapped Halyn up in a hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Midoriya and the others all took two giant steps back away from Todoroki, all of them now fearing that Todoroki was about to lose his grip and unleash his flames. Especially with what Gabriel did next.

Glancing at Todoroki over Halyn's shoulder, Gabriel gave him a smirk before parting with Halyn with a promise to see her after school.

Everyone rushed into the classroom, fearing that Nuclear Meltdown Todoroki was just around the corner.

As the day went on, Todoroki's mood only got worse. By the time school was over and Gabriel had insisted on walking Halyn back to her dorm, it was almost like a dark cloud was hanging over Todoroki's head. It wasn't until after Gabriel left and Halyn turned to say something to Todoroki only for him to walk away from her, that Halyn noticed something was wrong and she started following him through the dorm.

"Come on, Shoto. I have to leave to meet Mandalay in twenty minutes. Just tell me what's wrong." Halyn insisted.

"Nothing." was all she got in reply.

"Really? Because the last time you had this dark of a mood was during the Sports Festival when you were overly livid with your father."

Todoroki stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Halyn who had her bottom lip poked out in the way she did when she was upset or unhappy. He instantly regretted turning to look at her. He hated it when he made her upset, but he couldn't tell her that he was upset because she had spent all her free time that day talking with another guy. She would call him selfish.

Heaving a sigh, he got a grip on himself, forcing himself to relax. If he tried, he could fool her enough to get her off to her work study so that he could deal with the sudden, displeased feelings he was feeling, on his own.

"It's nothing to do with you, Halyn. I promise."

"Liar."

One of Todoroki's eyebrows twitched when she instantly retorted with that, calling him out on his lie. Fixing his eyes on her face, he watched as her lips puckered out even more.

"Come on, Shoto. I know you better than that. I know every tiny tick in your expression because I've been watching you for a long time." Halyn told him. "You can't lie to me."

"It's not a big deal. Just something I want to work out on my own." he told her honestly.

Halyn frowned before opening her mouth to speak again. Thankfully, her phone ringing, stopped her. Halyn pulled her cellphone out, looking down at the text that had just come in. Heaving a sigh, she replied real quick before turning her attention back to him.

"Fine. Lucky for you, Mandalay just called me in early. If you want to insist that it's nothing, then I'll leave it alone. Just know, Shoto, that you can always tell me anything. That's what friends are for." Halyn told him before turning on her heel.

Todoroki watched her hurry away so that she could get changed and leave. He knew he could tell Halyn anything, but when he didn't even understand it himself, he knew he couldn't expect her to understand it.

For the time being, he would keep it to himself.

-0-0-0-0-

That night, Halyn was put on patrol detail along with the Pussycats and some of the other more local heroes in the area. At the moment, Halyn was perched high up on the rooftop of a building, crouched on the edge of the roof, watching the streets below. Mandalay stood beside her, also watching the ground. At the moment, Pixie-Bob and Tiger were patrolling another area of the city, keeping in touch through two-way communication devices built into their headsets. Halyn had been giving a mic and earbud linked up with their headsets so that she could communicate with them.

" _Anything on your end?_ " came Pixie-Bob's voice in Halyn's ear.

"I'm not smelling anything yet. Nor have I seen anything." Halyn replied.

"I'm not picking up anything either." Mandalay added.

" _You think it's going to be another quiet night?_ " Pixie-Bob asked.

"If so, then we can send Fallout back. She has school in the morning." Mandalay replied.

Halyn wasn't listening anymore. Her attention had snagged on a scent that had carried to her on the wind. Raising her nose, Halyn drew a deep breath in, letting the different scents filter through her nose until she caught that scent again.

"Mandalay," Mandalay turned to Halyn as she took another sniff of the air. "I got something. This scent...it's Tepes'."

"You sure?" Mandalay asked.

"Yeah. It's strong, with a tang of iron. He's bleeding." Halyn replied.

"Which direction?" Mandalay asked.

"Northeast, I think. He can't be far if I'm picking up his scent this strong." Halyn answered.

"You guys heard her. Let's get moving." Mandalay ordered.

While Pixie-Bob and Tiger relayed the message to the other heroes in the area, Halyn followed the scent, leading Mandalay. When they drew near, both proceeded cautiously, hoping to catch the Temple team by surprise.

It was Halyn and Mandalay that were taken by surprise.

By the time Halyn caught Maso's scent, it was too late.

A noise like that of a startled cat, left Halyn when the thin Temple member crashed into her from behind, knocking her from her perch. Thankfully, it was only a ten foot drop into the alleyway below, but Halyn hit the ground hard, all the air in her lungs being pushed out as Maso landed on top of her. Somewhere above and behind her, Halyn heard a pained cry from Mandalay as she was knocked from her perch as well and was backed further down the alley. Halyn started struggling against Maso.

"Mandalay!"

When she didn't get an answer, Halyn really started struggling, but Maso held her down easily since Halyn was unable to get her feet under her. Halyn twisted her head, peering up at Maso's mask covered face as it drew closer.

"Gotcha!" came the sing-song voice.

Halyn was pretty sure that was a female's voice.

Storing that bit of information away in her brain, Halyn was forced to shift her attention when someone came to a stop in front of them. Turning her head, Halyn looked up as none other than the leader of Temple himself, crouched in front of her.

"I figured you'd come again." he said, his distorted voice disturbing to the ear.

"Where's Mandalay?" Halyn demanded.

"Who? Oh...you mean that so-called hero." Deathmarch replied.

So called?

Halyn silently prayed she didn't have another Stain on her hands. The first one had been enough of a hand full. She didn't want to face a whole four-man team of Stains.

"So you have beef with heroes, do you?" Halyn demanded. "You wouldn't be the first person I've met with an agenda against heroes."

"Heroes, villains...none of them deserve to walk around as they do." Deathmarch replied.

"Ironic coming from someone who's considered a villain. I can understand villains, but what could you have against heroes?" Halyn questioned.

Though she could escape at any moment and it looked like they had forgotten about her teleportation quirk, Halyn was curious and used her perceived helplessness as a chance to get some information.

"Heroes, you call them. Heroes are only those who will put a permanent end to the villains that plague this world. Heroes are only those who do everything to make sure those villains can never again harm others." Deathmarch told her.

"Permanent end? What do you mean?" Halyn asked, not liking where this conversation was going.

"A hero is only a hero when they kill the villains who have no concern for the lives they wreck. A hero...like you, Leander Halyn."

Halyn's eyes widened as she looked up at Deathmarch.

She wasn't surprised he knew her name. Anyone watching the Sports Festival would know who she was. In the modern day time, there was no such thing as a "secret identity" among heroes. No, she wasn't surprised he knew her name. It was what he was insinuating that caught her off guard.

"What...what are you getting at?" Halyn asked.

"Flame Lash. If I remember correct, he paid for his crimes against others, for messing with you, with his life, did he not? He assisted this brother in killing your mother, killed and harmed countless others, escaped after your father caught his brother, and came back to finish off your father, only to find you. Seven months, wasn't it? That was how long he tortured you, and for his misdeeds and sins, you took his quirk and ended his life. Now **that** is a real hero." Deathmarch said, his tone carrying a tone of admiration.

Halyn didn't see what there was to admire. Yes, Flame Lash had died almost as a direct result of her taking his quirk. Back then, she didn't have a full grasp of her own quirk and, when she had taken his quirk, she had pulled it from him along with some of his own life force, weakening the man and leaving his body in a state that only grew weaker by the day, until, finally, he passed away three months later, looking like a shriveled up husk of his former self.

Halyn had never, even for a second, been proud of what she had done to the man, even despite all he had put her through.

A yelled gasp of pain reached Halyn then. Halyn knew that voice belonged Mandalay and she couldn't help but wonder what was holding up Pixie-Bob, Tiger, and the others. Halyn twisted, trying to see Mandalay. She couldn't see anything from her position, but she knew they were close. Turning her eyes back to Deathmarch, Halyn blew her hair out of her face.

"Flame Lash was unintentional. I had no grasp on my quirk back then." Halyn told him.

"Of course not, but you proved yourself a hero once more during that attack on your training camp this past summer where you, once again, rid a villain of the quirk he used to harm others, before punishing him with death for his sins." Deathmarch replied.

Just what she needed...a reminder that she had killed her father.

Of course, that last part wasn't made public.

With that reminder, though, she could see the pattern that he had picked out, could see why she fit his logic of what a real hero was. But the question was, did that mean he wouldn't kill her? Ever?

No better time to test the theory, right?

"So, you're here to kill the Pussycats, tonight? Starting with Mandalay?" Halyn asked.

"When the masses call you clever, they aren't doing you justice." Deathmarch replied.

"That's the thing about being clever...you always have an escape route."

Halyn gave him a grin before, in a flash of lightning, Halyn, carrying Maso with her, vanished. The two reappeared further down the alley, Maso's back crashing into the ground as Halyn landed on top of her. Halyn didn't stick around for she knew she needed to find Mandalay. Using Maso as a springboard, Halyn jumped away from Maso, rocketing down the alley towards where she had heard Mandalay's pained cry from.

She spared Maso and Deathmarch only a minimum amount of thought as she rocketed down the alleyway, bouncing off walls. She flew free of the alley at the opposite end, finding Bones and Tepes standing over Mandalay's prone figure. Both whipped around, Tepes with a knife in hand. That was all Halyn needed to see.

Before their eyes, Halyn's figure started to shift, blue-and-black-striped fur sprouting over her skin as claws grew from nails and already sharpened incisors, grew into full time fangs. Her tail bushed out, her pupils narrowing to slits, and a growl rumbled forth from deep in her throat. In the next second, Halyn launched herself forward, moving even faster than she already did.

Bones turned to confront her, but, displaying her cat-like flexibility and maneuverability, Halyn quickly course-corrected and managed to slip through Bones's finger tips. Instead, she rocketed, feet first, right into Tepes, knocking the man off his feet and crashing him into a break wall. She could even feel bones break under the force of her impact. Bones turned on her when Tepes cried out in pain, aiming a flying fist for her, but Halyn jumped, letting Bones hit Tepes instead.

Grinning to herself as Tepes cursed Bones, Halyn landed on Bones' shoulders, using that as a springboard to jump away from them. She came to a skidding halt beside Mandalay and instantly checked the woman's pulse. Though it was weak and she was bleeding more and more by the second, Mandalay had a pulse. Halyn knew she had to get her out of there.

They could deal with Temple later.

Halyn reached up, pushing the receiving button on her headset to call Tiger and Pixie-Bob. Both responded just as Deathmarch and Maso joined the party. Bones turned to attack, to stop her from calling in reinforcements, but the moment he rounded on her, Deathmarch called him to a stop, snapping, "No!" at him. Bones froze on the spot, their actions proving Halyn's theory about Deathmarch not wanting her dead.

Halyn fixed her eyes on Deathmarch as she laid a hand on Mandalay.

"Fallout reporting in. Rushing immediately to emergency aid."

With that, before any of the four to react to stop her, Halyn vanished in a flash of electricity. Halyn reappeared across town in the local Emergency Room, a couple of nurses jumping out of surprise. They scrambled over themselves when they turned to find Halyn with an injured Mandalay at her side.

"Help, now!" Halyn requested quickly.

The two nearest to her ran for help, others already moving to help with stopping the bleeding. Halyn let them do what they could, sitting back. She knew they, as trained nurses, would be of far better use than her. Once they had Mandalay loaded up on a stretcher, rushing her into an emergency bay of her own, one turned to Halyn.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine. I have a self-healing quirk. Please, look after her." Halyn told her.

The nurse nodded and ran off. Halyn didn't have a moment to breath before Tiger and Pixie-Bob arrived, the two rushing over to her, Pixie-Bob wrapping Halyn up in a hug.

"Are you alright?!" Pixie-Bob asked.

"I'm fine. It's Mandalay I'm worried about. They were after the three of you this time and had laid a trap for us. They quickly separated us and started hurting her. They might have killed her if I hadn't gotten away in time." Halyn told her.

"They might have killed you, too!" Pixie-Bob retorted.

"No, they wouldn't have." Pixie-Bob and Tiger both stared at Halyn as she stared off towards the bay where doctors and nurses were working on Mandalay. "I don't think they would have hurt one hair on my head."

"What makes you say that?" Tiger asked.

"Because, their leader seemed...fascinated by me. He called me the only true hero because I've been the reason for the deaths of two villains I've faced in the past. He said a hero isn't a hero if they don't kill the villains and, therefore, all villains and so-called heroes deserve to die." Halyn replied.

Pixie-Bob and Tiger shared a look. Halyn could already see the concern in their eyes and knew what was coming before either spoke. After all, Halyn already had the League of Villains after her. So when Pixie-Bob turned to look at her, she found a determined look on Halyn's face.

"Leander," she started.

"No." Halyn instantly replied. "You're not booting me off this case. If Deathmarch is truly as interested in me as he claims, then regardless of whether I'm helping with the case or not, he'll find a way to get to me. So if I'm to be in that kind of possible danger, then I'd rather still be helping others while I'm at it. There's something odd going on, and you're going to need every spare pair of hands you can get. Not to mention, you can use his unwillingness to harm me, to your advantage."

"You're talking about using yourself as bait! Not a chance!" Pixie-Bob retorted.

"Yes, a chance! Pixie-Bob, I'm suppose to be training to be a hero. How can I do that if every single adult around me wants to coddle me?! I understand well that the League of Villains may be after me, and now Temple, but I'm not a child and I've already proven I can handle it, haven't I?' Halyn replied, pleading look on her face. "Mandalay was hurt tonight, almost killed. She would have been if I hadn't been there. I don't want to watch other heroes end up in the same condition or worse when using me is the safer bet."

"Safe bet for who, Leander? Because it's not you." Tiger told her.

"I'm well aware of the possible twists the idea can take, but, as far as I can see, it's still the best bet. Think about it. I don't feel pain, I heal as soon as I'm injured, Deathmarch doesn't seem to be interested in hurting me, and, if in a pinch, I can teleport out of there. I'm the best chance we have of catching them because I'm the hardest to kill and capture. Risking me is safer than risking anyone else." Halyn insisted.

Pixie-Bob reached out then, taking hold of each of Halyn's shoulders. Halyn turned her eyes to Pixie-Bob who fixed her with a rare, serious look, her grip tightening.

"Eraser was right about you. You're too willing to jump in to help." Pixie-Bob said.

"That's a hero's job, isn't it?" Halyn replied. "I took the name Fallout for a reason, now I'm going to live up to it."

Pixie-Bob heaved a sigh. She could already tell that Halyn wasn't going to let this go. She even had a feeling that if she called Aizawa to call off Halyn's work study with them, then she would still find a way to insert herself into the case. That was just how Halyn was. Stubborn, helpful, and compassionate.

Who knew that could be such an infuriating mix.

"Alright, look. We can talk about this later. For now, let's see how Mandalay is doing and then we're going to send you home for the night. I think we could all use a night to cool our heads." Pixie-Bob said.

"But we're not done with this conversation?" Halyn asked.

"No, we're not done with this conversation." Pixie-Bob confirmed, fighting hard not to smile.

"Good."

Heaving another sigh, Pixie-Bob turned Halyn and steered her towards the trauma bay where they had Mandalay, Tiger following them. When they reached the bay, Pixie-Bob stopped a doctor to find out how Mandalay was doing. Thankfully, according to the doctor, none of her wounds were especially deep and, thanks to Halyn's fast reaction time, they had managed to get her help before she had lost too much blood.

Halyn was relieved to hear it, though not as relieved as Pixie-Bob and Tiger, who had already faced the brief loss of one of their teammates. After talking to the doctors, the three were allowed into the room to see Mandalay who was finally conscious once more. When she saw Halyn, Mandalay smiled.

"Sorry **you** had to be the one to save **me**." Mandalay told her as Halyn stepped up to her bedside.

"Hey, sometimes even heroes need heroes, right?" Halyn replied, giving her a smile as she reached out to give Mandalay's hand a squeeze. "Besides...I kind of owe all of you. First Ragdoll gets hurts and loses her quirk because she protected me and stayed behind and then Tiger took part in the rescue attempt to get Ka-chan and myself back. I owe you."

"You don't owe us anything. Like you just said, sometimes, even heroes need heroes. Besides, it wasn't your fault that Ragdoll lost her quirk." Mandalay assured her.

Halyn gave her a smile and another squeeze of the hand.

"Doesn't matter. One of these days, when I have better control and a better understanding of my quirk, I'll get clearance to All for One and I'll get Ragdoll her quirk back. If he can give and take selectively, then maybe so can I." Halyn admitted. "Maybe I'll be able to give back most of the quirks he stole."

"You've really been dwelling on this, haven't you?" Pixie-Bob asked.

"I have. Whether or not I like it, we're blood. I have to set right the wrong he started, at least a little bit. If I couldn't, what kind of hero would I be?" Halyn said, giving them a smile.

The three adults smiled upon seeing her smile. None of them could deny that Halyn had a strong sense of responsibility. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it could be something that, eventually, wore Halyn out way before her years called for it.

"But first, we have to deal with Temple." Halyn suddenly added, her tail perking up as determination over took her face once more.

"I don't think-"

"Save it. She's already made up her mind." Pixie-Bob told Mandalay, cutting off her teammate. "She's even got it into her head to use herself as bait since, apparently, Deathmarch has an interest in her."

"Apparently, I missed a lot while I was out." Mandalay remarked.

"I'll share what I found out and my idea, if you'll tell me what happened before you were knocked unconscious." Halyn told her.

"Sounds like a deal. But don't think we're just going to agree to any plan that puts you at extreme risk." Mandalay warned her.

Halyn was already well aware of that. That being said, she honestly didn't think she would be in extreme danger. Everything about Deathmarch's fascination with her and the way he had stopped his comrade from hurting her, told her that he didn't intend to harm her. Not at that moment, at least. For now, that was what she would act on.

After all, sometimes a hero had to run a risk in order to save lives.

First things first...convincing the Pussycats.

END

Kyandi: Frankly speaking, I'm not a hero but I would still rather risk myself than someone else.

Halyn: And that would be where I got the trait from.

Kyandi: Somewhat. Anyway, I hope I can see some of you this coming Friday at AnimeFest.

Halyn: She's going to be holding a sort of contest with a special prize for those of you who are going to be there.

Kyandi: Tune into my Twitter Friday morning to find out details.

Halyn: Until then, she has other stories she wants to work on.

Kyandi: Right. So, everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	36. Jealousy

Kyandi: Greetings, all!

Halyn: We apologize for taking so long.

Kyandi: I meant to have this update out two days ago, but then I got in a car wreck and ended up with a concussion.

Halyn: Needless to say, focusing long enough to write and edit, was a little beyond her.

Kyandi: It still is a little, but I feel better, so if you spy a mistake, that's the reason.

Halyn: And we apologize for it.

Kyandi: With that, I have one other thing I want to say.

Halyn: The flaming?

Kyandi: Yep. Look, I start all my stories off with asking everyone not to flame. There's a big difference between constructive criticism and just out right flaming me. I appreciate the former and detest the latter.

Halyn: She's been getting a lot of private messages and reviews with the latter.

Kyandi: Which I delete almost as soon as they are sent/posted. I have enough insecurities in my life without people adding on to it and calling me names and telling me how awful they think I am and, yet, I have received a total of nineteen of these messages and reviews on this story in the last week alone. So I'm just going to say this, if you don't like the stories I tell, then don't read it and, please for the sake of God, do not leave me comments. Thank you.

Halyn: Should we move on now?

Kyandi: Yes. Everyone, please enjoy and review. Review, not flame.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 36 Jealousy

It was late that night when Halyn finally got home. Having texted him that she was on her way home, Todoroki met Halyn at the doors of the dorm with a cup of hot tea in his hands. Halyn couldn't help the smile on her face when she saw him. Taking the teacup from him, she heaved a sigh.

"You are too good to me, Shoto." she told him.

"Another long night?" Todoroki asked as she made her way over to one of the tables and took a seat, dropping her costume case and bag in the chair beside her.

"You could say that. We ran into our suspects again tonight. They were after the Pussycats this time around and I got caught up in the crossfire." Halyn replied as he took a seat across from her.

"The Pussycats?"

"Mandalay is a little worse for wear, but she'll be fine after a good night's rest." Halyn answered.

She conveniently left out the whole part about how the villains' leader seemed to have some kind of obsession with her. Halyn was pretty sure that Todoroki didn't need to know that part. It would only cause him to worry about her even more than he already did.

"And you?" Todoroki asked.

"I'm just tired. I'd fall right into bed if I didn't have homework to finish, first." Halyn told him.

"Want some help?" Todoroki offered.

A bright smile curled Halyn's lips as she looked at him. He really was just too sweet to her sometimes.

"That would be great, thanks. First, I want to enjoy this tea." Halyn took a sip of the tea and heaved a content sigh. "Let me guess...you used some of Momo's tea leaves."

"She gave me some when I asked her." Todoroki replied.

"Well, thank you Momo. She always has the best tea leaves." Halyn remarked.

Todoroki watched her as she gratefully sipped her tea. Once she had drained the cup, she sat it down and reached up to rub at her stiff neck while she rolled her head. He heard an audible crack before she let out a sigh of relief. She was obviously tired.

"Do you have to go back out again tomorrow?" he asked.

"No, thankfully. Tomorrow is a rare day off for us at school, so the Pussycats are giving me the day off. Mandalay needs the day of rest, anyway." Halyn replied.

That was right. How could Todoroki forget the rare day off they had coming tomorrow. Even he and Bakugo had a day off their provisional license training. Todoroki had completely forgotten or he would have already made plans with Halyn. Better late than never, right?

"That's right. Even I have the day off. Do you want to go with me to see my mom?" he asked her.

When she gave him an apologetic smile, he knew he was about to get an answer he wasn't going to like.

"Sorry, Shoto. I already made plans with Gabriel. I haven't seen him in so long that it'll be nice to sit down and catch up without having to worry about classes. I can't believe how much he's changed since we were in grade school." Halyn said, smiling happily.

Todoroki wasn't happy with the reply. Though he understood that Halyn had other friends than him that she would want to hang out with, something about the way Gabriel looked at Halyn just rubbed him the wrong way.

"How'd you even meet him?" Todoroki found himself asking.

"Gabriel? Oh, um...after the whole ordeal with Flame Lash, Remus thought it would be a good idea to put me in a therapy group with other kids my age who had suffered some kind of trauma at the hands of villains. I met Gabriel there." Halyn admitted.

Todoroki was pulled out of his dark mood when he heard this. So Gabriel had been through a similar trauma as Halyn.

"Gabriel is a lot like me, Shoto. His father was killed by a villain who was caught and arrested thanks to Gabriel's testimony. The heroes assured Gabriel and his mother that he wouldn't be able to hurt them, but he escaped prison and came looking for them. He killed Gabriel's mother before he was taken down, but that wasn't before he psychologically tortured Gabriel. Unlike me, though, Gabriel didn't have any family to support him and comfort him. I guess...we just clicked. For about four years, we supported each other, helped each other through our difficulties. He helped me rediscover my desire to be a hero and I helped him to smile again." Halyn explained, smiling as she thought back to her days running amuck across Genoa with Gabriel.

Now Todoroki could somewhat understand the way Gabriel looked at Halyn. The two had bonded over their similar trauma, had been the support and comfort the other had thrived off of. Of course, hearing this lead to more questions.

"If you were such good friends, why hadn't you seen him in three years?" Todoroki asked.

"Originally, I lived in Genoa. When it came time to start middle school, I moved to Rome with my brothers in order to enter a school that would prepare me for UA. Gabriel, back then, didn't want to be a hero, and I wasn't going to force him to come with me if that wasn't what he wanted, so...we parted. We write back and forth, but it's not the same as being able to see him." Halyn answered.

It was selfish, but...Todoroki preferred it had stayed as them writing letters back and forth.

While he now understood the closeness he had seen between the two, there was still something about Gabriel that Todoroki didn't like. It was only after a whole evening of thinking it over, that Todoroki figured out what it was.

He was jealous.

Seeing Halyn with their male classmates never really made him jealous because of the simple fact that they never tried to butt in on his time with Halyn. Gabriel was doing just that and it seemed the other male knew exactly what he was doing and that only made Todoroki more annoyed.

And the whole thing was ridiculous simply because he wasn't dating Halyn and, therefore, shouldn't be jealous.

Didn't make him any less so.

Todoroki dropped his chin into one palm, watching Halyn as, with a smile on her face, she recounted a story of a time when she and Gabriel got chased all over town by a group of teenagers after Halyn confronted them on bullying one of her classmates and Gabriel backed her up. Halyn's smile only grew when she finally told him how she and Gabriel managed to lose the teenagers.

Apparently it included a chicken coop and some honey that Halyn had borrowed from a neighbor.

Even Todoroki couldn't help the smile on his face. Just imagining a younger Halyn getting into that kind of trouble...it was amusing and endearing at the same time. So, yes, he was jealous that Gabriel was stealing his time with Halyn on their day off, but he wasn't going to say anything to Halyn. He didn't want to see her lose her smile.

For now, he would just keep it to himself and just watch Halyn's back.

-0-0-0-0-

This was not what he had meant by watching Halyn's back.

When the morning started and the class was given permission to leave campus as long as it wasn't too far from the campus, Todoroki had planned to go see his mother, alone now that Halyn was out with Gabriel. That being said, when Gabriel showed up at their dorm to pick up Halyn, several of their classmates had freaked out about how much like a date it looked like.

Halyn insisted, as she pushed Gabriel out the front door, that it wasn't a date, but her friends weren't going to let it go at that. Almost as soon as Halyn left, many of her classmates, mostly the girls along with Mineta and Kaminari, decided to follow the two. Todoroki, Midoriya, and Kirishima got dragged along, the girls insisting that Todoroki should be the first one to jump on the idea of trailing Gabriel and Halyn.

Thus Todoroki found himself spying on Halyn from across the street and around a corner as Halyn and Gabriel sat at an outdoor cafe, the two smiling and laughing as they talked.

Todoroki felt so bad spying on Halyn, but, at the same time, he couldn't pry his eyes from the two. He wondered what the two were talking about. Some times, they could get close enough to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation but the two were talking in Italian. Todoroki knew a few phrases that Halyn had taught him, but nowhere enough to figure out what the two were talking about.

Across the street, Halyn heaved a sigh as she leaned her chin into a palm, a smile on her face. Idly she stirred her drink with her straw.

"What was with the sigh? I'm not boring you, am I?" Gabriel asked, a teasing smile on his face.

"Oh, god, no." Halyn said, waving a hand dismissively. "I still just can't believe you're here. And how much you've changed! Last time we saw each other, we were the same height."

"Not the case anymore." Gabriel replied.

"Not the case at all. When did you spring up?"

"Eighth grade. I sprouted up over a foot in the course of six months." Gabriel told her.

"Lucky. I would have loved to be a little taller." Halyn said with a sigh.

"Any taller and you would be looking down at your precious Todoroki."

Halyn looked up at Gabriel when he said this. For a brief moment, she saw something flash in his eyes, but then it was gone and he was just her smiling friend.

"It would take more than a few inches for me to be taller than Shoto. And it would really take a lot for me to be as tall as you." Halyn told him.

Gabriel smirked, the image of Halyn as tall as him, an amusing one. It was then that his eyes locked in on Halyn's tail as it idly weaved back and forth. Reaching out, he carefully took hold of her tail. Halyn, a little surprise, twisted to look at his hand on her tail. Normally, she didn't let anyone touch her tail, the appendage far too sensitive for her to be comfortable with, but she had basically grown up with Gabriel. When they were younger he had touched her tail all the time.

Seems that hadn't changed.

"You don't wear a ribbon on your tail anymore?" Gabriel asked.

"I'm in high school now, Gabriel. Pretty ribbons on my tail was so grade school." Halyn told him.

"But it suited you."

"When I was little, maybe. I'm fifteen now. Besides...I try to draw as little attention to my tail as possible. I have some really hands on classmates. The last thing I need is for any of them to get it into their heads that they want to mess with my tail. I already get enough of that from Pixie-Bob." Halyn told him.

"Pixie-Bob?" Gabriel asked, letting her tail slide through his fingers.

"She's one of the heroes I'm doing a work study with, right now. She's obsessed with my tail and takes every chance she gets to mess with it or grab at it. She was also one of the heroes that lead my class's summer camp. Her first interaction with me was her popping up behind him and lifting my skirt to look at my tail and then she started chasing me around, commenting on the color of my underwear and grabbing at my tail. I spent the whole summer camp with her making lunges for my tail." Halyn told him.

"Sounds like she keeps you on your toes." Gabriel remarked. "So you don't let anyone touch your tail anymore?"

"Shoto does, now and then."

Gabriel came to a complete stand still, his eyes shifting to Halyn's face as she picked up her drink to take a sip of it. The smile on his face fell away, his expression turning serious. Pulling his hand back, he leaned back in his seat.

"You talk about him quite often." Gabriel remarked.

"Who? Shoto?" Halyn asked, blinking at him in questioning.

"Yeah, him."

Halyn sat back in her seat, her expression turning fond as a smile curled her lips. Even her tail curled as she thought of Shoto.

"Like I said, Shoto's been really good to me. We didn't start off as much. In fact, until our Sports Festival, we didn't even really talk. After I made a big nuisance of myself during the festival, we just...kind of clicked. We've been practically inseparable since." Halyn told him. "We did our internships together, have fought a lot of fights together, train together, spend all our free time together. I even kind of felt bad to tell him that I couldn't hang out with him today because I had already made plans with you."

"Poor him." Gabriel replied, dropping his chin into his hand in a way that had his palm covering the lower half of his face. "I have a question for you."

"What is it?" Halyn asked, turning her eyes to Gabriel as he shifted to lean forward on his elbow.

"I heard about what happened at your summer camp." Gabriel started, his expression serious. "I even heard that you had to kill a Nomu creature, whatever that is, in order to protect others and that you were captured by the villains that attacked the camp. My question is, if he's so good to you...where was Todoroki when you were captured?"

"He was there, along with Deku and Shoji from my class." Halyn replied.

"And yet...he did help you."

"Gabriel, that's not fair." Halyn told him, instantly jumping to Todoroki's defense. "There was a lot going on and we were all just trying to do what we could to survive. Shoto tried to help me, but I pretty much landed myself in the League's hands."

"I would have protected you."

Heaving a sigh as a smile curled her lips, Halyn reached out to lay her hand on top of one of his. She gave his hand a squeeze as his eyes landed on her face.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Gabriel, but you're being a bit unfair. Shoto and the others thought I was back at camp with Aizawa-sensei and Vlad King-sensei. Protected and safe. The League wasn't just after me and they were focused more on saving Ka-chan, who was right in front of them. When I showed up, Shoto did his best to save me, but we had all been fighting for a while that night and we were all tired. Shoto did his best and he beats himself up enough for not being able to save me. Don't do the job for him, please." she pleaded.

Gabriel looked from her face to her hand sitting on top of his. It was a genuine plea for him to cut Todoroki some slack. When he took a while to reply, Halyn's bottom lips rolled out in a pout, her eyes widening in a look he remembered all too well from when they were kids. It was the same look she would give him or her brothers when she really wanted something and it looked like they weren't going to give it to her.

The look usually had about a ninety percent success rate.

Gabriel hadn't seen that look in so long that, this time, it fell under that ninety percent.

Heaving a sigh, Gabriel dropped his chin into his free hand. Halyn knew by his expression that she had all but won.

"You really like this guy, don't you?" Gabriel asked.

"I do. A lot. So try to be nice to him, okay? Nothing would make me happier than to have the two of you, my most important boys, be friends." Halyn told him.

And this was how it had always played out with them. Halyn would give him that pleading look, would beg him with soft voice of hers, all the while looking him directly in the eyes, refusing to look away until he agreed. Then there was the prize he got when he did agree.

"Alright, fine. You win." he told her.

There it was.

With his agreement to play nice with Todoroki, the most brilliant smile he had ever seen, lit her face before she popped to her feet, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug.

"Thank you, Gabriel!" she told him, her tail waving happily.

Gabriel smiled as he looked down at her smiling face. He had missed this smile in the three years they had been separated, had thought about it every day, living for the day when he would finally see her smiling face again. He had realized, a long time ago, that no one else could ever make him feel the way Halyn did, so when he uttered his next words, he meant them with all his heart.

"Anything for you, Halyn. I'd do anything for you."

Halyn's smile brightened before she dropped back into her seat and picked up her cup.

"Then will you get me another drink?" she asked.

Gabriel chuckled, shaking his head as he got to his feet. Reaching out, he picked up her cup before bending to plant a kiss on her cheek.

"Yes ma'am." he told her before walking away from the table.

Unknown to Halyn and Gabriel, watching from across the street, Todoroki was not the happiest person in the world. Watching as Halyn smiled and laughed with Gabriel, watching as the two exchanged kisses, even just chaste kisses on the cheek, as if it was something they did every day...Todoroki had seen enough. If he stuck around any longer, he would just make himself angrier and would only end up taking it out on his friends.

So, turning his back on the sight of Gabriel returning to Halyn with a new drink, Halyn smiling brightly up at him, Todoroki left.

At the cafe, Halyn was perfectly oblivious to Todoroki's burning feelings as Gabriel dropped back down into his seat across from her. It was nice just to be able to sit down and talk to her oldest friend, but, soon, it wasn't just the two of them.

"Gabriel!"

Halyn and Gabriel looked up when someone called out to Gabriel. Coming their way, bouncing as she walked, was a teenage girl with hair the same pale blue as Halyn's that she wore in long pigtails, eyes of a bright green-yellow, and skin of a even tanned color. She came bouncing their way in her brightly colored clothes, a large, muscular boy with closely cropped brown hair and pretty blue eyes, following her. When they reached the table, the girl leaned on the table, a big grin on her face.

"Whacha up to, Gabriel?" she asked.

"Hanging out with an old friend." Gabriel answered.

"You know them?" Halyn asked, looking at Gabriel.

"Yeah. This is Milly Hermoja and the big guy is Richard Müllst. They're transfers, just like me. Richard is in the support classes, like me, while Milly is in the General course classes." Gabriel told her.

"Ooohhh! Is this her, Gabriel!?" Halyn leaned back in her seat as the girl, Milly, suddenly got up in her face, grinning as she looked Halyn over. "Is this the girl you tell us about all the time?"

"You talk about me all the time?" Halyn asked, leaning around Milly to look at Gabriel.

"I don't talk about you all the time." Gabriel protested.

"Oh boy does he. You're all he talks about." Milly butted in.

"Richard, please." Gabriel requested.

Halyn blinked, fighting back the urge to laugh when Richard merely grabbed Milly by her shoulders, lifted her up off the ground, and set her down away from the two of them. Halyn turned a grateful smile on Richard.

"Thank you." she told him before leaning towards him to speak behind her hand like that would keep Gabriel from hearing her. "Does he really talk about me all the time?"

"Only sometimes. Milly over exaggerates quite often." Richard replied.

"I see. I'm Halyn Leander." Halyn said, introducing herself.

"We know!" Milly popped up between Halyn and Richard once more, Richard raising an eyebrow before looking back to where he had set her and then back at her, as if wondering how she had gotten past him. "Gabriel has pointed you out to us. I'm so happy to meet you! Gabriel says you kick monster ass!"

Halyn turned her eyes to Gabriel, raising an eyebrow at him. Gabriel heaved a sigh.

"Those were not the words that left my mouth, I swear." he told Halyn.

"Nah, Gabriel was much more low key than that, but I thought I'd spice it up." Milly replied.

"I see. Well, you certainly did "spice" it up." Halyn told Milly, smiling.

"I can already tell, we're going to be good friends!" Milly said, excitedly, taking hold of one of Halyn's hands in the two of hers.

"Milly, give her some breathing space." Richard told Milly.

"It's fine." Halyn told him before looking back at Milly. "I'd be happy to be friends. Any friends of Gabriel's, are friends of mine."

"Yhay!"

With a cheer, Milly threw her arms around Halyn's neck, giving her a hug. Gabriel shook his head while Richard gave Halyn an apologetic smile. With the arrival of his friends, Gabriel decided to wrap up their hang out and the four of them headed back to school together. Gabriel saw Halyn to the front door of her dorm, waving to her as she vanished inside the building. When she was out of sight, Milly leaned around Gabriel to peer towards the door.

"I can see why you like her. She's kind, cute, has a great smile, and she's clever." Milly remarked.

"Halyn is all that and more." Gabriel agreed. "She's always understood me."

"Do you think she would understand if you told her **everything**?" Richard asked.

Gabriel didn't answer. Halyn, in his eyes, had always been the kindest, most compassionate person he knew. All she had ever wanted to do, was help people, to save them from going through even a fraction of the torment she had gone through as a child. Even as a child, she had always displayed the traits of a true hero. While he knew she would be his friend, would always do whatever she could to help him in a time of need, Gabriel was not prepared to share all secrets with her.

Not after they had been separated for such a long time.

First, he needed to reestablish his position as the one closest to her.

So first things first...he needed to upstage Todoroki.

-0-0-0-0-

After ending her day out with Gabriel early, Halyn decided to go visit Todoroki's mother, hoping to catch him while he was still with her. When she arrived, though, she found out that she had just missed Todoroki and that, according to his mother, the boy was in a really bad mood.

Halyn visited with Rei for a short while before leaving, wondering what could have possibly put Todoroki in a bad mood. When she arrived back at the dorms, she made her way to Todoroki's room. The boy answered when she knocked on the door and it only took her one look to realize that his mother had been right and he was not in a good mood.

"Your mom told me you weren't in a good mood. What's wrong?" Halyn asked instantly.

"You went to see her? I thought you were hanging out with your old friend." he retorted, a little too sharply.

He saw the look of hurt take over her expression and instantly felt like a jerk.

"Is that why you're in a bad mood? Because I went and hung out with Gabriel, today?" she asked.

"Yes... I mean, no. I'm not mad about that." Todoroki replied.

"Really? Cause it kind of sounds like you are. What is about Gabriel that makes you so mad, huh?" Halyn asked.

"He doesn't make me mad. I just...I don't like the way he looks at you." Todoroki admitted, deciding it would just be best to tell her what he was thinking.

"Looks at me? What do you mean?" Halyn demanded, confused by what he meant.

"He's always watching you, Halyn. Whenever he's around us, his eyes never leave you for even a second. It's like you're the only thing he sees." Todoroki told her.

"And? Shoto, we haven't seen each other in three years."

"You haven't see it. He stares at you intensely. It almost looks like...like he wants to eat you."

It was about the only way Todoroki could find to describe the look in Gabriel's eyes when he stared at Halyn. Even then, it didn't quite fit. Gabriel's expression and the look in his eyes, when he was watching Halyn, was intense, bordering almost on obsessive. It always put Todoroki on edge to see that look directed at Halyn.

"Are you sure you aren't just imaging things?" Halyn asked. "I've known Gabriel for about seven years now. I've never seen anything like your describing."

"I know what I've seen, Halyn. I don't like it." Todoroki told her.

Halyn scanned his face, eyes narrowed. She couldn't understand why he was acting this way. They were friends, yes, but there was nothing more to the relationship than that. Todoroki didn't want there to be and Halyn had respected that, even when it hurt. And now...now he was acting like he was...

Halyn stopped, her eyes widening as a thought came to her mind and her mouth formed an "o". Todoroki didn't know what that look was about, but he had a feeling he wasn't going to like what came out of her mouth next.

"Shoto, are you...jealous?" Halyn asked. "Because that's crazy."

"I'm not jealous." Todoroki quickly retorted, despite having admitted just that to himself recently. "Why would I be jealous?"

"I don't know. You don't have a reason to be, but you're acting like you are." Halyn replied. "Shoto, I don't get what's up with you. I can understand being a little protective, because friends are that way, but you're taking it a little too seriously here. Did you stop to think that maybe, just maybe, Gabriel might like me as more than a friend and that's why he watches me the way he does? I doubt that's the case, but even if he did, it isn't something for you to worry about."

Nothing for him to worry about?

If Todoroki wasn't angry before, he was slowly getting that way.

"What are you getting at?" he asked, part of him wary of what her answer would be.

"Shoto, we're friends, really good ones. I vaule your friendship more than anything, but..."

"But?" Todoroki prompted when she trailed off.

"But, you, yourself, made it perfectly clear that this can never be anything more than friendship, that **you** don't want it to be, and I was okay with that. But now..." Halyn heaved a sigh, pressing a hand to her face for a moment before looked back up at him, her expression torn enough to make him feel bad for ever getting upset. "I can't do this anymore, Shoto. Not if you're going to act this way every time a guy **might** have interest in me."

Todoroki's eyes widened slightly as he caught on to what Halyn was saying without actually saying it. He knew that Halyn cared about him, had proved it several times, but...was she trying to say that she was in love with him?

"What are you trying to tell me, Halyn?" Todoroki asked, his chest feeling a little tight.

"I'm saying, Shoto, that I have too much on my plate right now and I can't handle this on top of it. You obviously haven't figured out your own feelings, or you wouldn't be acting this way towards Gabriel who has done nothing to anyone, so I'm going to back off and give you the space you clearly need to do just that. When you finally figure it out, let me know."

With that, Halyn turned away from him and walked away. Todoroki, shocked by what had just come out of her mouth, took a step out of his doorway, calling out to Halyn, but she didn't look back, just vanished onto the elevator. For a long moment, he just stood there, staring down the hall, dazed by what had just happened.

This whole time, he had refused to confront his own growing feelings for Halyn, had insisted they were friends and nothing else, all simply because his father had wanted them to be more and he would do anything to see to it that Endeavor didn't get what he wanted. He had never stopped to consider Halyn's feelings and how his choices affected her.

She was right...he couldn't keep doing this to her. It wasn't fair to her. If he wanted to save his relationship with Halyn, wanted to keep her close, then he had to figure out his own feelings and where he wanted to go from there. If he didn't...he could end up losing her. So that was exactly what he was going to do.

Didn't mean he wasn't going to keep a sharp eye on Gabriel while he was at it.

END

Kyandi: I got an idea and kind of rolled with it.

Halyn: I feel bad now.

Kyandi: Todoroki will be fine.

Halyn: Are you sure? You sure I wasn't too harsh?

Kyandi: Yeah, he's a big boy. He'll be fine.

Halyn: Oh, I hope so.

Kyandi: Quit worrying. You'll have more to worry about in the next chapter.

Halyn: Oh, boy...

Kyandi: Yep. So, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	37. Planning For The Showdown

Kyandi: Greetings, my lovelies.

Halyn: We were a little late posting this chapter today.

Kyandi: I did not expect to be away from my laptop all day. I honestly expected to be back and on it around eight this evening.

Halyn: It's almost midnight now.

Kyandi: I know! Two of the older ladies from my choir took me out tonight. I couldn't say no.

Halyn: Well, you could, but that would have been rude.

Kyandi: Exactly! Anyway, I'm sleepy, so let's get on with this. Everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 37 Planning For The Showdown

The next morning, Todoroki was waiting in the usual spot where he and Halyn ate their breakfast. When Halyn came down, instead of joining him for breakfast, she got her breakfast to go, and walked right out of the dorm without so much as a glance his way. The others watched in shock as she left and, almost as soon as the door closed behind Halyn, the girls, Kirishima, Sero, and Mineta, all crowded around him. Though it was asked in different ways, each and every one of them asked basically the same thing.

"What did you do?!"

The fact aside that it was actually his fault, he couldn't help but be amazed that they had automatically assumed that whatever was wrong with Halyn, it was his fault. Even though they were right and it was his fault, he didn't really want to talk to them about it. So, getting to his feet, he grabbed his tray and turned away from them.

"I don't want to talk about it." he told them, walking away.

They watched him leave before the girls looked at each other. If Todoroki didn't want to tell them want was going on, Halyn would. So, the girls grabbed their bags and hurried out the door after Halyn. They caught up with her quickly on the path from the area where the dorms sat to the school.

"Ha-chan! Hey, wait up!" Mina called after her.

Halyn came to a stop but she didn't turn to look at them. She waited like that until they caught up with her.

"Ha-chan?" Uraraka asked, coming up beside Halyn. Uraraka froze, the others joining her only to find tears pooling in Halyn's eyes. "Ha-chan, what happened?"

"I messed up, guys. I messed up bit time." Halyn told them, gripping at her skirt.

"What do you mean?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"I said things to Shoto, last night, that I probably shouldn't have. I mean...I meant everything I said, but...I said it all out of frustration and now I can't even face him." Halyn told them, biting down on her lip to keep it from trembling.

"What did you say to him?" Jiro asked.

Halyn took a deep breath before she told them what had happened with Todoroki the night before. The other girls looked at each other as she spoke. They had a pretty good idea what had set Todoroki off, but they couldn't really admit to Halyn that they had been following her the day before. Halyn still hadn't looked up from the ground by the time she finished, telling them how she had walked away from Todoroki after saying her piece.

"Oh, Ha-chan, it'll be alright." Toru assured her.

"Yeah. From what you told us, it sounded like he deserved it." Jiro remarked. "I mean, come on. He's not being considerate of your feelings, at all."

"She has a point, Halyn. I hate to say this to you, when you're already upset, but, maybe...maybe you could use time a part from him, too." Yaoyorozu told her, trying to be as gentle as she could.

The mere thought of not being able to talk to Todoroki every day, of not being able to tell him how her day had gone, or being able to just hang out with him, caused Halyn to choke on a sob. Pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes, she felt the tears over flow and start pouring down her face. Her friends instantly tried to comfort her, Uraraka and Toru laying a hand on her back.

"I know you're right, Momo, but...I'm so in love with him, it hurts." Halyn cried.

Not knowing what they could possibly say to help their friend with her heartache, they comforted her the best they could. They were able to calm her enough to get her to stop crying by the time they got to class. Todoroki, who had reached class before them, looked up as Halyn walked past him, not looking in his direction.

Catching a glimpse of her face, he could have sworn that she had been crying. He was about to turn and speak to her, but he locked eyes with Yaoyorozu who shook her head at him, silently telling him that it was best if he just left Halyn alone for the time being. While he really wanted to talk to Halyn, especially about their conversation last night, he knew Yaoyorozu would never lead him wrong. He trusted her judgment. so, even though he didn't want to, he face the front of class as class was started.

By the time lunch rolled around, everyone, even the teachers they had had so far, knew something was wrong with Halyn. The girl wasn't as active in class as she normally was, spending the whole class, staring down at her notebook. Todoroki turned to look at her when, as soon as the lunch bell rung, she was on her feet, heading for the classroom door.

She was out the door before anyone could stop her.

Halyn knew she didn't want to face Todoroki. Not at the moment. He needed to figure out what was more important to him and he wasn't going to do that if she didn't present him with an ultimatum. If they had merely continued on as they were, she knew he would never feel any need to change anything. Now he had no choice but to decide which was more important to him, her and their relationship, or his continued anger and need to spite his father.

So, she would continue to do what she could to avoid him. The girls had already agreed to help her, and knowing Mina, she would probably recruit some of the boys to do the same. Still, the though of continuing on like this, without talking to Todoroki or spending time with him, made her want to cry all over again.

Halyn rounded a corner, trying to keep her head down until she could get outside, when she bumped into someone. She went to apologize until she looked up and came face to face with Gabriel.

"Gabriel!" she gasped in surprise.

"Just the person I was looking for." Gabriel said, smile on his face. That is, until he noticed the puffiness of her eyes. "You've been crying. What happened?"

Halyn heaved a sigh. Even when they had been children, Gabriel had always been quick to pick up on it when she was upset. It was like the boy's quirk was knowing when she was anything but happy. She didn't even know where to start, what to tell him, and that just made her frustration worse and made her want to cry all the more.

Seeing this, Gabriel did the same thing he had done when they were children. Wrapping her in his arms, he pulled her into a hug. The action was so familiar, Halyn found herself relaxing, releasing a shaky breath as she did.

"Let me guess...Todoroki?" Gabriel asked.

"What makes you think it was Shoto?" Halyn asked.

"Because, even when we were children, you never let much get to you. Unless it was something really close to you, something that involved your emotions, you were always able to let it go. I imagine that's still the case, even now. So it's either something is wrong with your bothers, or it's him."

Halyn couldn't find fault with his logic and she knew he was aware of that. Heaving a sigh, Halyn pulled back to look up at him.

"It's a long story." she told him.

"Well, Milly, Richard and I are about to get lunch. Join us and you can tell me all about it." Gabriel offered.

"That sounds great."

-0-0-0-0-

"So, wait...he's jealous of Gabriel?!"

"Milly, sit down." Richard said, reaching out to tug Milly back down in her seat when she jumped up to lean across the table to look Halyn in the eyes.

Halyn, Gabriel, Richard, and Milly currently were sitting at a table in the lunchroom, Gabriel and Halyn sitting across from Richard and Milly. Halyn heaved a sigh, giving a shrug of her shoulders.

"He swears, up and down, that he isn't, but his actions say otherwise." Halyn replied.

"He has a reason to be jealous."

Halyn turned her eyes to Gabriel as the boy took another bite of his lunch. Raising an eyebrow at him, she gave him a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Halyn, I've never made it a secret how much I care about you. If he doesn't shape up, I really will knock him out of his position as your favorite friend and more. If he won't take care of you and give you what you need, I sure will." Gabriel told her.

"That's really not going to help matters. If Shoto hears you, he'll take it in the wrong way." Halyn replied.

"I think it's more along the lines of you not taking it the right way." Milly retorted.

"Meaning?" Halyn asked.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter at the moment." Gabriel told her before Milly could say anything. "The problem, at the moment, is that he made you upset and made you cry. I should make him beg you for forgiveness."

When Gabriel went to stand, Halyn grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. The last thing she needed was for a fight to break out between the two. While others might want to find out who would win between Todoroki and Gabriel, Halyn was not one of them. She didn't want to see either of them get hurt because of her.

"He'll apologize to me...eventually. You don't need to do anything." Halyn told Gabriel.

"You sure have a lot of faith in this guy." Milly remarked.

"After how much he's upset you, you shouldn't." Gabriel added.

"It's only because I know him, and you only say that because you don't know him like I do. When I was captured during our summer camp, Shoto tried to get me back, and when he couldn't, he broke the rules to come after me. I know he cares about me, but...he still has some issues that he needs to deal with." Halyn replied.

"And until he does, you're the one that has to pay for it." Gabriel retorted. "You deserve better than that, _kleine tigerin_."

Halyn couldn't help but smile when he said this. She was happy that he felt that way, but it did nothing to change how she felt. Gabriel could see that. Even now, when she was feeling heart broken and dejected, he could tell that she still loved Todoroki. Her heart aching, all she could think about was the very guy who had hurt her in the first place.

It ticked Gabriel off.

From the moment Gabriel had met Halyn, had gotten to know her and her story, he had felt an attachment to her that he hadn't felt with anyone else. With Halyn...it was just different. To not only see her in love with someone else, but hurt by her love, as well...Gabriel couldn't even began to describe the amount of anger and annoyance he felt towards Todoroki.

Halyn deserved someone who would go to the ends of the earth and back for her, someone who would love her despite everything, and everyone, else. She deserved someone who would return her love, ten-fold. Instead of all she deserved, she had found Todoroki who was more wrapped up in his personal problems to realize how lucky he was that he had a girl like Halyn in love with him.

In Gabriel's opinion...Todoroki was a fool.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Gabriel. For now, though, I want to focus on my work study and leave it at that. I have too much on my plate to have to worry about you possibly getting into a fight with him. So, please...just let it go for now." Halyn begged.

Gabriel looked down at him, two pairs of purple eyes meeting. He stared at her for a moment before sighing.

"I'll let it go...for now. But he better apologize to you soon." Gabriel told her.

Seeing that Gabriel was going to let the subject of conversation go, for the moment, Milly took the chance and ran with it.

"So, how is your work study going?" Milly asked.

"It's becoming a hand full. This group we're after is turning out to be just as evasive as the League of Villains. We don't even know all of their quirks. Finding out what they are, of course, is suppose to be my job." Halyn replied.

"Really? What's wrong?" Richard asked.

"I'm just having a little trouble with it. There's four of them and it's...it's..."

Halyn made a noise of frustration, heaving a sigh as she stabbed a sushi roll with her chopsticks.

"It's what?" Gabriel asked.

"I don't know. It's like they're well aware of what I'm capable of and are constantly keeping eyes on me during the fight. Every time I make a move on one of them, the others intervene in order to block me. It's frustrating. I understand that, as a UA student, the whole country has seen my quirk, but this is ridiculous. I have to think of something quick or more people are going to die." Halyn said, propping an elbow on the table and dropping her chin into her hand.

"Is this that group that has been killing villains and heroes alike?" Richard asked.

"I'm not suppose to go into details about the case, but...yeah." Halyn answered.

"If they're killing villains, then what does it matter?" Gabriel muttered.

"That's not even funny, Gabriel." Halyn said, looking over at him. "Not all villains are like Flame Lash and the one that killed your parents. Some are two-bit thieves, others are only what circumstances and environment made them. Regardless of what they are or what they've done, a human life is a human life. It's not up to any of us, as fellow humans, to decide rather another person deserves to die."

Gabriel, seeing the firm look in Halyn's eyes, didn't argue with her. It was a topic the two of them had never agreed out. While Gabriel believed villains deserved whatever punishment they got, even if that meant their own deaths, Halyn believed in a little forgiveness, a little mercy. It didn't stop her from doing whatever she had to do in the moment, though, and it was a trait that Gabriel always associated with her. It was simply one of the things that made Halyn, herself.

"Besides, they're not just killing villains, but heroes, too. They have to be stopped. I'm tired of having to join the Pussycats in explaining to families why their loved ones aren't coming home." Halyn said with a sigh. "Speaking of my work study, though, I need to go talk to Aizawa-sensei about getting my classwork for tomorrow."

"Why do you need your classwork for tomorrow?" Milly asked.

"I have to go to a strategy plan meeting with the Pussycats during school tomorrow." Halyn told them, the three looking at each other before focusing back in on her. "Thanks for letting eat lunch with you and talk about my problems. I need to go."

"Go. We'll talk to you later." Gabriel assured her.

Halyn gave him a smile. Gathering her tray, she got to her feet. She gave Gabriel a quick hug, called a good-bye to Milly and Richard, and took off. Gabriel watched her go, waving when she stopped at the door of the lunchroom to wave back at him. When she was gone, the smile left Gabriel's face and he turned to look at Richard.

"Text Chris. Let him know we need to have a meeting tonight." Gabriel told him.

"Ugh, really? Do we have to involve Chris?" Milly whined.

"You know full well that we do." Gabriel told her as he got to his feet. "Text Chris."

"You got it." Richard told him before Gabriel turned to leave.

With that Gabriel dropped off his tray and left the lunchroom. On his way out, he caught Todoroki glaring at him from across the lunchroom. Grinning, Gabriel shot him a smug look before leaving. Let Todoroki be as jealous as he wanted. All it was doing was pushing Halyn away since the boy couldn't own up to his own feelings. Gabriel was fine with that. That meant more Halyn time for him. Gabriel was about to teach Todoroki a very important lesson.

If he couldn't realize how precious a gift Halyn was, then he was going to lose her.

And Gabriel was going to be more than happy to be the one to take her from him.

-0-0-0-0-

After a night of continuing to avoid Todoroki, Halyn was up and leaving before any of her classmates the next morning. Mandalay and Pixie-Bob picked her up at the school gate. Once Halyn was safely tucked away in the back seat of the car, Mandalay took off.

"Alright, just so you know, we're meeting with a couple of local heroes, as well as the head of the police department in order to discuss the plan you suggested." Mandalay told her.

"And Tiger?" Halyn asked.

"He's already at the office waiting for the others to arrive." Pixie-Bob answered.

"Alright."

When that was all Halyn said in response, Pixie-Bob twisted in her seat to look back at the girl. She found Halyn staring out her window, a distant look on her face. Both Pixie-Bob and Mandalay knew that wasn't like Halyn. The girl was usually very focused on the task at hand. For her to be distracted now...something had to be up.

"Is something wrong, Leander? You're not usually so distracted." Mandalay said, glancing at Halyn in the rear view mirror.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, sorry. My head is split in two directions right now. Sorry about that." Halyn answered, snapping out of her haze.

She gave the two an apologetic smile.

"You know, we might not be high schoolers anymore, but we can still understand whatever it might be that's bother you." Mandalay told her.

"Yeah, so talk to us. What's up?" Pixie-Bob asked.

Halyn heaved a sigh. Apparently she wasn't as good at hiding when she was upset as she thought she was. It seemed that everyone was able to read her like a book. She would have to work on that if she wished to keep anything to herself.

"It's nothing, really." Halyn insisted.

"It is a boy?"

Halyn choked on her own saliva when Pixie-Bob bluntly said this. Turning to look at the woman, she found Pixie-Bob grinning at her.

"Pardon me?" Halyn gasped.

"I'm right, aren't I? Let me guess, it's that Todoroki boy, isn't? I thought the two of you looked awfully close at the camp." Pixie-Bob purred.

"Guys and girls can be just friends." Halyn protested, but it sounded weak even to her own ears.

"They can, but not when the girl looks at the guy like I've seen you look at him." Pixie-Bob replied.

"I really don't want to talk about this." Halyn said, already feeling like she could sink into the seat and never resurface.

"Come on now...is it that he's not returning your feelings? Or has he started dating someone else? Or have you started gaining feelings for another boy?" Pixie-Bob asked, rambling off one question after another.

"I **really** don't want to talk about this!" Halyn said, burying her face in her hands as her cheeks started to heat up.

Halyn ended up spending the rest of the trip to the office with Pixie-Bob badgering her about what was going on with Todoroki. By the time they reached the office, Halyn was flying out of the car to avoid anymore questions she didn't want to answer. She was grateful when Mandalay made Pixie-Bob give up on her questioning.

When they entered the office, Halyn was surprised to find not only Gran Torino and Fatgum, but a hero she hadn't expected to be involved simply due to the sheer distance between territory; Hawks. Halyn had heard an awful lot about the up and coming hero and the inhuman speed his quirk gifted him with, but the man ran a hero company in a city a great distance from this one. Halyn had heard a good deal about the man from Tokoyami, who had interned with him during their internship week. She hadn't expected to see him, of all people, there.

"Mandalay...what's Hawks doing here?" Halyn asked lowly.

"He's in town for a while on personal business. He was asked to join us while he's here, and he agreed." Mandalay told her.

"I see..."

Mandalay glanced at Halyn, who was watching Hawks with a curious expression on her face. Mistaking it for thinking that Halyn was a fan of the hero, Mandalay made Halyn an offer.

"Would you like me to introduce you?" she asked.

"No, thank you. I'm not really a fan, just curious." Halyn replied before turning away and heading for Gran Torino and Fatgum. "Hello, sirs."

"Leander, how are you doing?" Gran Torino asked.

"Just fine, sir. And the two of you? I heard you were still working with the police on the League of Villains case, Gran Torino." Halyn said.

"I still am, but, at the moment, this Temple team is being considered top priority since the League's gone underground for the time being. Don't know why they called an old man like me in when they got youngsters like you who are faster." Gran Torino complained.

Halyn smiled down at him.

"I might be fast, sir, but I have nothing on you when it comes to experience and wisdom." she told the old man.

The old man scoffed at her flattery, but couldn't stop the smile on his face. Halyn turned her attention to Fatgum, next, greeting him as well.

"Sure was a shame, to lose the three of you after that case." Fatgum told her.

"And we miss patrolling with you, sir." Halyn assured him.

It was then that Mandalay called the meeting to a start. Halyn turned to face the head of the room as Mandalay, Pixie-Bob, and Tiger took lead on the meeting, the others finding seats or somewhere to stand around the room.

"As you all know, as of late, a group calling themselves, Temple, has been terrorizing the city, hunting and killing both villains and heroes, alike. We've confronted them a few times now, and each and every time, they manage to get away." Mandalay said, starting it all off.

"What do we know about these villains?" one man asked.

"We aren't completely sure of their quirks. What we do know is one of them, the one that calls herself Maso, has the ability to inflict pain on others merely by looking at them. Another member, by the name Bones, has the ability to manipulate his own bone structure. He can harden his bones, protrude them outside his body, even form armor around his body out of them." Mandalay reported.

"Another of them has quirk that allows them to form and manipulate fog. We aren't sure exactly what it is, but we have a feeling this quirk belongs to their leader, Deathmarch. As for the forth member of their team, Tepes, we aren't exactly sure what his quirk is. All we know is that he's able to use it to manipulate and control a bunch of daggers. We aren't sure if it's a form of metal manipulation or telepathy." Pixie-Bob added.

"The only reason we've been able to figure out what we do know so far, is because of the quirk of our intern." Mandalay said. "In fact, she's the one that came up with the idea for current plan. Leander."

Mandalay gestured for Halyn to join her. All eyes turned to Halyn as she walked to the head of the room. Turning to face the room, Halyn clasped her hands before her.

"This is Leander Halyn. She's a student at UA and the one that has been helping us with all our attempts to locate and stop Temple. Her quirk, Assimilation, allows her to assimilate other people's quirks and, through that, she gains knowledge of the person's quirk and how it's used." Mandalay told them. "She also has gained a key piece of information that our plan is centered around."

"What information is that?" Gran Torino asked.

"During our last attempt at capturing the members of Temple, Leander and I were attacked. They separated us and, while they were dead set on killing me, Deathmarch was against them so much as injuring Leander." Mandalay said.

"I got Deathmarch to talk a little, trying to gather some information, myself." Halyn said, drawing attention to her. "Their goal, much like Stain's, is the end of our superhero society as we know it. Much like Stain, they see heroes today, as being false. Deathmarch even told me that, to him, a hero is not a hero if they do not kill the villains they fight. Because heroes, in general, do not do that, he sees them all as false heroes. The only exception to this rule of his...is me."

"And why are you the exception?" Hawks asked idly.

"Well...um, because of the first villain I ever faced. When I was seven, I was kidnapped, held captive, and tortured for seven months. In a desperate attempt to win my freedom when no one came to my aid, I fully assimilated the man's quirk. At that age, I had no control, or even a full understanding of my quirk and I ended up taking parts of his life energy along with the quirk. I didn't mean to do so, but I managed to escape and he was arrested. Because of my slip up, he wasted away over the next three months before passing away as a mere husk of his former self." Halyn said, heaving a sigh of shame. "It's not exactly my proudest moment. In fact, it's a great source of shame and guilt for me. It was the reason I swore I would never fully assimilate another quirk unless I had no other option. That being said, none of that seems to matter to this Deathmarch."

"So he sees you as his ideal hero." Gran Torino said.

"Yes, sir. I don't know if it is because of this, or something else, but he's absolutely reluctant on letting any of his teammates harm me in any way. Nor will he do so, himself. That he knows about everything that has come to pass with me since I came to Japan, shows that he's been following me and my life closely. Dare I say it, it might even border on obsessive." Halyn replied.

"And your plan?" Fatgum asked.

"Use me as bait, of course."

"Say what?!"

While Halyn didn't seem the least bit hesitant in her statement, some of the heroes in the room had an issue with using a high school student as bait for a group of dangerous villains with the blood of several people already on their hands. Halyn tried to put their minds at ease.

"The two of you, of all people, should be well aware that I'll be in no real danger." Halyn told Gran Torino and Fatgum, who had been the loudest protesters.

"That doesn't matter! You put yourself in constant danger!" Gran Torino told her.

"Not constant, but I do understand your point. My point, sir, is that it's about the only leverage we have here. If we don't make use of it, more people are going to die. I can't live with that on my head, knowing that there was something I could do. Can you?" Halyn replied.

Gran Torino muttered to himself, looking away from Halyn when he saw her point. Even Fatgum shut his mouth and didn't say another word. When they offered no other protest, Halyn turned her attention back to the room as a whole.

"If given the chance, I have a feeling they will approach me again. So, plain and simple...we're going to give them that chance." Halyn told them. "So, here's what we're going to do."

Halyn laid out the plan for them and, though she was confronted with a little resistance, she was able to gain agreement from the others. Ultimately, they would have only one chance to pull this off and if they failed, they might not get a second chance to catch the members of Temple off guard. They needed to make this count.

Halyn didn't want to think of the coincidences if they failed.

END

Kyandi: You know what they say...the past sometimes comes back to bite you.

Halyn: Maybe, but don't you think I've paid enough for my past transgressions?

Kyandi: Eh.

Halyn: That's it? That's all I get?

Kyandi: I'm half asleep. What do you expect? Anyway, everyone, you need to go vote on the poll I have up because I'm closing it in three days.

Halyn: She needs time to write the Halloween special.

Kyandi: Yep. With that said, everyone enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	38. Operation Go

Kyandi: Hey, Kyandiacs!

Halyn: We apologize for taking so long to update.

Kyandi: This holiday season is a really busy time of year for me.

Halyn: And it's not over yet.

Kyandi: No, it's not. I still have New Year's and my birthday the day after.

Halyn: Then she'll be done until February.

Kyandi: Yep. I'm looking forward to getting back to a relaxing pace.

Halyn: Until then, we have a chapter for you.

Kyandi: Yep! So, everyone, enjoy and review.

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 38 Operation Go

"Tell me again why I'm being put on babysitting detail."

Halyn, who was currently going through the pockets on her hoodie, checking that everything was in place, looked up and over to where Hawks stood facing Mandalay and Pixie-Bob. It had been him who had spoken after they had gone through how all of the heroes present would be split up. Instead of being teamed up with one of the Pussycats, they had decided to pair Halyn with Hawks.

"It's not babysitting." Pixie-Bob told him.

"Leander is perfectly capable of taking care of herself." Mandalay added.

Halyn was glad to hear that the Pussycats thought this. At least someone didn't think she needed to be watched twenty-four/seven.

"The fact of the matter is, Leander is the only one here capable of possibly keeping up with your speed." Mandalay explained to Hawks.

"Isn't that right, Leander?" Pixie-Bob called out, turning to look at the girl.

All three turned to look at her. Halyn looked up from checking the pockets in her hoodie.

"I'll certainly try my best. One way or another, I'll keep up. I should be able to manage as long as I can keep him in sight." Halyn replied, turning back to her work. "My classmate, Tokoyami, interned with him and told me all about his infamous speed. I will not be so cocky as to claim, without a doubt, that I can keep up, but I'll manage something, one way or another."

With that, Halyn turned away from them, going to Tiger to pick up the headset she would be using to keep in contact with all the other heroes taking part.

"You're always so modest, Leander." Pixie-Bob remarked.

"Less modest, more logical. I won't be one of those caught off guard and possibly killed because I was too cocky for my own good." Halyn replied as she situated her headset. "I've gone up against too much in my short life not to know my own limitations. Anyway, we have to get in position."

With that, they split up, scattering throughout the city. It was after this that Hawks and Halyn found themselves sitting on the roof of a five story building. Hawks stood to the side, looking bored, while Halyn was scanning the city through binoculars.

"It's at times like this that I wish I had gotten my mother's quirk." Halyn muttered to herself.

"You say something?" Hawks asked.

"Nothing of importance. Just feeling a little quirk envy." Halyn told him.

"You? Feel quirk envy? From what I've heard, you have a quirk everyone wishes they could have, 'cause, with it, you can have any quirk you want." Hawks remarked.

"My quirk isn't all fun and games, you know. There's a lot of down sides to it, just like with anyone's quirk, and if I'm not careful, I can cause myself a lot of pain. It's not easy asking one's body to suddenly adapt to a quirk it wasn't born with. Especially when it's a mutant-type quirk I've assimilated. Besides, if you listen to others, not a whole lot of them want my quirk, or even want me and my quirk around them." Halyn told him, still scanning the streets below.

"Ah, right...All for One." Halyn's mouth twisted when Hawks said this. She didn't reply though. "I heard the two of you are related. Is that true?"

Halyn heaved a sigh, still not lowering her binoculars.

"Very distantly. I'm actually a descendant of his younger brother. And before you ask, no, he wasn't a villain like All for One." Halyn replied.

"That's got to be rough for you." Hawks remarked.

"Not really. I'm well aware of who and what I am and having him as a blood relative, isn't going to change that." Halyn replied. "Now, can we stop talking about this?"

"Yeah, sure."

For a moment, silence stretched between the two of them, Halyn scanning the streets and Hawks waiting for her to find something they could use for their plan.

"You know, me being able to keep up with you isn't the only reason they decided to put the two of us together for this mission." Halyn said suddenly.

Hawks looked down at her, raising an eyebrow in questioning.

"What was the other reason?" he asked.

"Your speed." Halyn said, finally pulling the binoculars away from her eyes to turn her eyes to him. "In the last two times we've confronted Temple, the Pussycats haven't been able to move as fast as me or the members of Temple and, thus, one of them has gotten hurt each time. I'm also forced to slow down so I don't leave them behind. Last time, it only caused me to get captured. Because of that, they wanted me to be with someone who could react as fast as I and Temple can. The solution to this problem...is you. So it's not babysitting."

With that said, Halyn returned to peering through her binoculars.

"Do you really think you can keep up with me?" Hawks asked.

"We're about to find out. I think I found us the perfect cover." Halyn said, holding her binoculars. "Check out just south of here."

Hawks took the binoculars from Halyn, peering through them in the direction she had said. Through the binoculars, he spied the bank robbery in progress that Halyn had found.

"Do you think it'll work?" he asked.

"Should. Only one way to find out." Halyn replied.

Hawks gave her back her binoculars, Halyn sliding them back into their pocket on the inside of her hoodie.

"Then let's go." he said, giving his wings a stretch.

"Meet you down there." Halyn told him.

Hawks turned to offer her a ride down, but he was blinded by an explosion of electrical bolts. When his vision cleared, he found Halyn already gone. Spreading his wings, he took off, scanning the roads as he went. He couldn't find Halyn anywhere until he arrived on site of the robbery. Halyn was already there, dodging the flying fists of the man robbing the bank.

Hawks had to stop and stare in shock. She had actually beat him down from the roof top and he had no idea how she had managed it. Though, he knew, without a doubt, that it wasn't a speed type quirk. Or, at least...he thought so.

"A little help would be much appreciated, Hawks!"

Halyn's voice snapped him out of his staring and got him to work. He dived into the fray, crashing feet first into the villain and sparing Halyn another punch. The hit knocked the villain for a loop, leaving him a little dazed at first. Taking that chance, Hawks turned towards Halyn who was dusting off her clothes.

"How did you get down here faster than me?" he asked, too curious to let it slid.

"It's one of the quirks I've assimilated. It's called Electric Teleport. It allows me to teleport myself from one location to another." Halyn answered.

"So it's not a speed-type quirk?" Hawks asked.

Halyn let out a little laugh at that. It was obvious that he had been a little concerned with losing his title as the fastest pro hero.

"No, it's not a speed-type quirk. You're reputation as the fastest pro hero is safe." Halyn assured him.

"I wasn't concerned." Hawks told her, trying to play it off.

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say."

Hawks threw a look in Halyn's direction, the girl's tail curling as a smile had one side of her mouth twisting up.

"Am I that easy to read?" he asked.

"Only because I'm good at reading others. Anyway, we still have a job to do."

Both turned to look at the would-be bank robber as the man got back to his feet, ready to continue the fight. Before their eyes, the man grew in size. It was a simple quirk that Halyn had seen multiple times before in villains. It was like they thought that simple because they were bigger, they were stronger.

Well, she hated to break it to him, but the bigger they were, the harder they fell.

"Shall we get started?" Halyn asked.

"You know what to do." Hawks replied.

"Yep...time to take one for the team. Joy."

With that, Halyn jumped into the fight to do exactly that. After seeing how quickly Deathmarch had jumped to her defense when his comrades had tried to attack her, Halyn had figured that her being in danger, was one thing the villain couldn't sit back and let happen. So the plan was simple.

Halyn was going to put herself in danger's way.

Which was easier said than done, since Halyn had been trained to react quickly to a threat and it was hard to turn that off. She managed, taking one hit that had her flying half way down the street and into a building side.

"You alive?" Hawks called.

"For the time being."

Halyn pulled herself free of the wall, landing on her knees as she shook bits of crumbled concrete from her hair. She grimaced as she felt her now broken ribs shift to reconnect and heal. It didn't hurt, but the feeling was an awkward and kind of disgusting feeling, and it provided enough of a distraction that it took Hawks calling her name for her to look up.

Looking up, she found the villain standing over her, his linked hands posed to slam down on top of her.

"Oh, this isn't going to feel good."

Halyn braced herself to take the hit, squeezing her eyes shut.

At first, she didn't know what happened. One moment, she was on her hands and knees on the ground, and the next moment, someone scooped her up out of the way, the sound of crunching concrete reaching her ears. At first, she wondered if Hawks had swooped in to save her at the last second, but when she cracked open her eyes, she was confronted with the sight of Hawks, a shocked look on his face, hovering a good twenty yards from her. Finding herself looking over the dark clad shoulder of someone else, being held in their strong arms, Halyn pushed herself back away from the person's chest, looking up to find Deathmarch's masked covered face just inches away from hers.

The man held her tightly to his chest, but not tight enough to make it uncomfortable. From the direction his face was facing, Halyn could tell he wasn't looking at her, but down below at the large would-be bank robber who was looking from the rooftop Halyn and Deathmarch now stood on, and the ground where Halyn had previously sat.

"You...you saved me?" Halyn found herself gasping.

She was willing to admit to herself that she had taken a huge gamble with her plan, the whole time hoping that she was right and Deathmarch wouldn't allow her to be killed. She was relieved to find that she had been right and he had, indeed, come to her rescue.

"Did you not stop to think that this little plan of yours might backfire?" Deathmarch asked, snapping her out of surprise.

"Plan?" she repeated.

The arm around her waist gripped tighter, fingers digging into her lower back as if out of anger.

"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to fall for such an obvious trap? I've been watching you for years, I know how fast you react to a threat. Not to mention that you now have a teleportation quirk at your disposal. A weak, pathetic villain like that is no match for you. Yet, you allowed yourself to be attacked and near crushed, all for the sake of drawing me out, thinking that I wouldn't allow you, of all people, to die." he told her.

With each word he said, Halyn felt like ice was being dumped down the back of her shirt. He really did know her well if he was that confident in her abilities. It made her wonder just how long he had been watching her. Since she had started attending UA? Since middle school? Or had he been watching her since she was a child? She didn't know, but she knew he was angry as his grip on her got tighter.

"I'm flattered, really, that you would risk so much just for a chance to see me. Believe me, it makes me very happy that you want to see me so bad, but, that being said...your carelessness for your own life, makes me furious. Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he demanded, his grip now so tight that Halyn was sure her skin would bruise.

"What a strange feeling. Usually villains are trying to kill me, not save my life." Halyn remarked, unsure of how else to reply to him or the situation.

It was strange to be speechless for once. Usually, she had some kind of reply to just about everything. But this? This was too strange for her. It was then that something reached her nose. Halyn took a deep breath in, drawing the scent deep into her nose. She could smell the blood, the iron, that hung around him in a thick veil, and she could smell the over powering, strong musk of some kind of cologne that he had probably used in order to mask his true scent. He had used so much of it, it almost made Halyn gag.

Underneath that, however, she could just barely pick up the slightest hints of his real scent. She could smell sandalwood and cinnamon. It was a scent that she was familiar with, though her brain raced to place from where. Before she could place it, though, a crash and a loud cruse had her whipping around to find Hawks dodging attacks from Deathmarch's comrades.

"Hawks!" Halyn exclaimed. Deathmarch's grip on her tightened even more when she started fighting to get away from him and go to Hawks' aid. "Let go!"

"Not after you went through all of this trouble to draw me out. " Deathmarch replied.

"Fine, then I'll just take you with me."

Halyn felt his grip tighten even further as she activated her teleportation quirk. She took them both from the roof top, dropping the both of them on top of Tepes' head. Halyn landed on top with Deathmarch sandwiched between her and Tepes. With the air forced out of his lungs, Deathmarch was forced to release her. With her hands now free, Halyn felt around until she came in skin-to-skin contact with both Tepes and Deathmarch.

What she found as she partially assimilated both of their quirks, shocked her so much that she didn't automatically respond as Tepes threw both her and Deathmarch off his back. Halyn hit the ground rolling, instantly teleporting away as Deathmarch rounded on her. She reappeared on the rooftop behind Hawks.

"Hawks! I know what their quirks are now!" Halyn called to the man.

"Good. I've already gave the signal." Hawks replied.

"Someone call for back-up?"

All eyes turned to another roof top as Halyn's back-up, lead by the Pussycats and Fatgum, made their appearance. Halyn heaved a silent sigh of relief, turning her attention down to Deathmarch and his comrades who now found themselves completely surrounded.

"You're surrounded, Deathmarch. You and your team. Surrender and come peacefully." Halyn advised him.

"Do you really think, after all we've done, that we will do that?" Deathmarch replied.

"I was hoping so. Contrary to what you must believe of me, Deathmarch, I'm not a killer. I do not relish in the action of taking another life, be they hero, civilian, or villain." Halyn told him. "Are you disappointed in me now? I'm not the hero you thought I was."

"Au contraire, I'm well aware of the person you are, and **nothing** can make you any less perfect in my eyes."

Halyn wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. She was sure there were a lot of people in the world that strove for someone to call them "perfect", but Halyn was all too aware of her flaws to have any kind of good feelings from being called "perfect". To be called so by a villain whose kill count only continued to grow...it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Last chance, Deathmarch. Surrender peacefully, I beg of you." Halyn told him.

A low chuckle left Deathmarch then, his own comrades shifting in discomfort at the sound. Halyn's tail bristled, a bad feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.

"I do hate to deny you a request, really I do, but I can't do that. If I allow myself to be arrested, I would never get to see you when I want." Deathmarch replied.

"I know what your quirk is now, Deathmarch. I suggest you don't try anything." Halyn warned him.

"I have no doubt that you do, but, much like with yourself, the question then becomes...what quirks do I already possess?"

Halyn's tail shot out straight as a board, her instincts yelling at her to run. She had only a moment to call a warning to the others to take cover. Halyn took a dive for Hawks, shoving the man down onto the roof top and out of the way. She wasn't sure what happened, all she knew was there was a hot blast, the heat rolling over her so extreme, she could feel her skin burning. To save the others, Halyn used Tide to take the energy of the blast into her body. Only when the heat was clear, did Halyn move, popping back to her feet.

Halyn clicked her tongue in annoyance when she saw that Deathmarch and his team were making a quick retreat. She wasn't going to lose them again. Not knowing what she now knew about Deathmarch. Redirecting the flow of the energy she had just taken in, Halyn crouched, Hawks watching in wide-eyed surprise as her form shifted, flames erupting from her skin.

"You're not getting away this time." Halyn muttered.

"Fallout, don't!"

Halyn didn't even stop to see who had been the one speaking. Without giving anyone the chance to stop her, she launched herself off the roof with the power of Starburst Tigerlily. The sheer amount of power behind the launch, sent her rocketing through the air like a rocket. Deathmarch turned, but with how fast her approach was, there was nothing he could do to dodge it. Only Bones taking a dive for him, protecting him with the increased density of his bones, saved Deathmarch from taking the full burnt of Halyn's attack.

As it was, it still sent the three flying down the street, where they crashed into the side of a building, the building shaking from the sheer force of the impact. If there was anyone in the building, Halyn was sure it felt like an earthquake to them. Bones, still protecting Deathmarch, tried to move, trying to Halyn off, but the girl slammed a boot heel into the side of his head, pinning it to the building wall. Holding his head in place, she turned her eyes to Deathmarch.

His quirk...it made Halyn sick to think about it. She couldn't even begin to image being born with such a quirk. Despite the similarities she could see in his quirk when compared to two others, this one had a sort of twisted element to it that she just could stomach. To be a child growing up with that kind of quirk, was wrong. She was sure it had something to do with his somewhat twisted ideals. As much as she wanted to feel sympathy for him, she knew what her job was.

Halyn had to protect those Deathmarch sought to hurt.

To do that, she would have to do something she really loathed to do.

Reaching out, while she still had time before Tepes and Maso could reach her or Bones could knock her off, Halyn slid her bare finger tips under Deathmarch's mask. Almost the moment her skin made contact with his, he started fighting, well aware of what she was probably doing. Halyn refused to let herself be shaken off, pressing her free foot down on his chest near the base of his throat. She felt it the moment she latched onto a quirk and gave a great heave to tug it free.

' _One down..._ '

A loud, blood-curdling scream ripped through the air then, breaking Halyn's concentration just a moment before someone seized her by the back of her hoodie and wretched her free of Bones and Deathmarch. Halyn let herself be tossed over a shoulder and hit the ground rolling. She knew instantly that she had managed to collect the wrong quirk, and double cursed herself as the pain set in, making her wince, but she wasn't going to allow it to put her out of the fight yet.

Raising her head, she found Tepes standing between her and Deathmarch and Bones, Maso knelling next to the two to check on them. Tepes looked ready for a fight, blades in each hand. Fine, then she would just have to give him a fight. Gritting her teeth and forcing herself to ignore the gut-retching pain, she launched herself forward. Trying to show some kind of restraint, Tepes swung at her, aiming to force her to retreat, not to hurt.

Halyn dodged under the swing, coming up with an upper-cut to Tepes' chin. Spinning, she landed a solid kick to his chest, slamming him back into Bones just as the poor guy was finally getting to his feet. The two hit the ground, a low curse leaving one of them, though Halyn couldn't tell which. Maso attacked next, Halyn side-stepping her blade to grab her wrist. With a sharp turn, she sent Maso flying over her hip. Whipping around, determined to finish her job before she lost the fight against the pain, Halyn faced Deathmarch, only to receive a punch across her face from Tepes.

"Don't hurt her!" Deathmarch snapped.

From the way Tepes hesitated to follow up his punch with another attack, Halyn could tell he was fighting with his self-preservation instincts and his desire to follow his leader. Halyn took advantage of that opening, launching herself at Tepes and hitting him with the stronger kick she could muster up. Tepes slammed into a wall, sliding down it until he sat on the ground, not moving. Praying that he was unconscious, Halyn turned her attention to the next threat.

The next threat, though, seized her from behind, arms slipping up under her arms to lock hands behind her head. With ease, Bones lifted her off the ground, leaving her feet dangling as she fought to break free of the hold he had on her. Hissing much like a cat not pleased with their predicament, Halyn raised her arms up over her head, giving her the opening to slip out of his grip. Dropping to the ground, she instantly rounded on Bones, landing a solid punch to his lower gut.

A grunt left Bones as he bent double. With his head now on level with her, Halyn followed up her punch, with a round-house kick to the head. By the time he hit the ground, Halyn felt like her insides were being ripped apart. Her legs were shaking and all she wanted to do was lay down and curl into a ball. Trying to steady herself, Halyn left her back open for a moment too long.

Maso jumped her from behind, slamming into her and sending both of them rolling across the ground. An angry and startled yowl left Halyn as she wrestled with Maso, both fighting to be the one that ended up on top. Their wrestling gave Deathmarch and Bones the chance to collect the unconscious Tepes.

"Maso!" Deathmarch called.

Halyn and Maso rolled free of each other, Maso instantly making a run for her teammates, Even as fog rolled in to cover their retreat, Halyn, her body protesting every move, moved to follow.

"Fallout, don't!"

Halyn looked up as several of the local heroes she was working with, ran past her to pursue the Temple team. The Pussycats, Gran Torino, Fatgum, and Hawks, were making their way towards her. Knowing that she would be safe to give into her body's desire to collapse, Halyn did just that, hitting her knees before curling in on herself.

"Leander!"

Mandalay and Pixie-Bob dropped to their knees on either side of Halyn, both checking her for injuries but not finding either.

"What's wrong?" Mandalay asked.

"I fully assimilated...a quirk...the pain...is the price...I pay for...doing so." Halyn told them.

"You took one of their quirks?!" Pixie-Bob asked. "Why would you do that? I thought you hated doing that?"

"Deathmarch, his quirk...it's not something...someone like him...should have." Halyn told them. "But I messed up."

"So you didn't get his quirk?" Gran Torino asked.

"I got **a** quirk."

"What does that mean?" Mandalay asked.

"His quirk is...similar to...mine, but...with a...twisted difference. That kind of quirk...is wrong...so wrong." Halyn told them, wincing as another wave of pain worked it's way up through her belly.

"What are you talking about?" Pixie-Bob asked, trying to ease her.

"He takes quirks...like I do, but...he does so...by taking in...the dead bodies of others."

The news had everyone staring at Halyn in horror. Where Halyn merely took the quirk factor, the gene that allowed for the formation of a quirk, in order to use another's quirk, Deathmarch's quirk worked by fully absorbing the bodies of others into his being, allowing him to, then, use the quirk of the deceased.

Things just took a twisted turn that none of them have been prepared for.

-0-0-0-0-

That night, when the Pussycats got Halyn back to UA, they instantly took her to see Nezu, who called in Aizawa, All Might, and a few of the other teachers. By the time everyone had gathered, Halyn was sleeping soundly on the couch in Nezu's office after having been given something by Recovery Girl to try to help with the pain of assimilating another quirk.

"It seems she's always finding herself trouble to get into." Aizawa remarked, looking down at Halyn's sleeping face. "What happened this time?"

Nezu explained to the teachers the situation of Halyn's current work study, right down to Deathmarch's fascination with Halyn, his quirk, and the lengths Halyn had gone to in order to try to stop him. By the end of it, Aizawa hung his head, heaving a sigh. Out of all of his students, Halyn, along with Midoriya, was the one that managed to find herself in similar situations, again and again...and again.

"So she wasn't able to assimilate his actual quirk but the quirk of one of the...bodies he had absorbed?" Present Mic asked, making a face when he got to the "bodies" part.

"Precisely." Nezu confirmed.

"What was the quirk she got instead?" Midnight asked.

"She called it Clairvoyance. It is a quirk that gives her the ability to glimpse a past or future event through contact with an object or person. According to her, it's a quirk that is constantly active, and she has no control over when, where, or what she will see." Nezu informed them.

"So, in other words, a quirk that, for the majority of the time, will be useless for her." Midnight remarked.

"And since the original holder is dead, she's stuck with it." Present Mic added.

"Why does she keep doing this to herself?" Aizawa asked himself.

All of the adults turned to look at Halyn's sleeping form. The girl always seemed to insist on hurting herself for the sake of others, all because, normally, she didn't feel the pain.

"That's just the kind of hero she is." All Might remarked.

" We have all known this for quite some time." Nezu remarked. "In light of the situation at hand, the Pussycats have agreed with me that it would be better to disband Leander's work study with them. That this newest villain and his comrades have taken such in interest in her, was worrisome enough. Tonight, however, she uncovered something."

"Uncovered something?" All Might repeated.

"Yes. Leander told us that Deathmarch, the leader of this team, had apparently gone through great lengths to mask his scent. He apparently was aware of Leander's animal-like sense of smell. Underneath that cover-up, though...was a scent she said she has smelled before, and quite recently." Nezu told them.

"Wait, what?! Are you saying...?"

"Though there is a chance that it is not the case, Deathmarch might, very well, just be someone here at UA." Nezu confirmed, when Present Mic trailed off.

"Did she say who the scent belonged to?" Aizawa asked.

"In the chaos of the moment and with how heavily it was masked, she couldn't quite place the scent, only that it was familiar and she has smelled it since coming to UA. I am sure, if she smells it again, that she might be able to place it, but given the information we have now, it would be in her best interest to, for the time being, confine her to the campus and keep a close eye on her. If he is, indeed, a member of the campus, I do not want him to have easy access to her." Nezu told them. "For now, Recovery Girl has given her something to help her sleep. If you would please take her back to her room."

Nezu turned to look at Aizawa as he made the last comment. Aizawa nodded, heaving a sigh as he collected the girl, lifting her with ease and leaving her costume case to All Might. It always seemed to be one thing or another with Halyn.

All Might and the others just hoped that, this time, they could figure things out without Halyn having to risk her mental stability in the process.

END

Kyandi: When I was given the idea for Deathmarch and his quirk, I thought it was really interesting.

Halyn: It's certainly...different.

Kyandi: You don't really have any other way to describe it, do you?

Halyn: Not really, no.

Kyandi: Well, it certainly is something else, that's for sure. Anyway, for those of you who have Twitter and haven't already done so, be sure to follow me on Twitter.

Halyn: You can talk with her, get early alerts for when chapters are going to come out, and get to see extra content, now and then.

Kyandi: Right! So, if you want, do that, and enjoy and review!

Halyn: Make sure to tell us what you think of Deathmarch's quirk, too! We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	39. Suspicions

Kyandi: Greetings my lovelies!

Halyn: We've returned with a new chapter.

Kyandi: We meant to post this yesterday, but I ended up being away from my house all day and went straight to bed when I got home.

Halyn: She was tired after running around chasing five year olds.

Kyandi: I don't remember why I ever agreed to that.

Halyn: Because you love children and your best friend asked for your help.

Kyandi: Oh, yeah. Well, it's over now!

Halyn: Until Wednesday when you have to do it again.

Kyandi: Oh...right...well, wish me luck, Kyandiacs. Also, enjoy and review. I would really love some feedback!

Halyn: Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 39 Suspicions

The next day, Halyn was missing from class, Aizawa deciding to keep her in the teachers' lounge for the day. Through out the day, the teachers took turns, when they were teaching a class, to try to trigger a vision in Halyn just so they could seen how it would work for the girl. Halyn dealt with the constant string of teachers taking her hand, or handing her random objects.

It wasn't until the last class of the day, when Midnight handed Halyn Present Mic's coffee mug, that Halyn actually had one of the visions. Nezu, Aizawa, Midnight, Present Mic, and All Might, stood back and watched as Halyn got a glazed look on her face, her eyes zoning out briefly as whatever vision played before her eyes and her eyes only. The vision only lasted for a brief moment before Halyn snapped back to attention, blinking in surprise.

They watched as Halyn looked down at the coffee mug in her hand before making a face, holding the mug out for Present Mic to take back, barely gripping it with two fingers, as if she thought it was something disgusting. Before any of them could ask what it was she had seen, Halyn spoke, her tone reflecting how disturbed she felt.

"Present Mic-sensei, next time you wake up early to get a cup of coffee...try doing it in more than a pair of Care Bear pajama pants and a pair of fuzzy slippers."

All eyes turned to Present Mic, who instantly went to stumbling over himself, trying to explain himself. Halyn, though, merely rubbed at her eyes, trying, and failing, to erase the image of her teacher in Care Bear pajama pants and fuzzy slippers, from her brain.

"That is so trippy." Halyn remarked. "It was like I was actually sitting there in Present Mic-sensei's living room, watching him."

"So it played out from a third person's perspective?" Aizawa asked.

"Yeah, except...everything, for some reason, was in black and white." Halyn replied.

"If only we could figure out when and how she gets the visions." Midnight remarked.

Aizawa had to agree. This was one quirk that could given Halyn more of a headache than any other she had assimilated thus far. Even Nighteye had seen things he hadn't wanted to see. Halyn had already gotten a little bit of a taste of that with this first vision.

For the time being, they had to worry about it interrupting her day-to-day life or, possibly, causing a problem when she was in the middle of a fight. Just the thought had Aizawa heaving a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. Halyn looked up at him, blinking in questioning.

"You are just one problem after another." Aizawa told her, putting a smile on Halyn's face.

"It's not on purpose, Aizawa-sensei, I swear." Halyn replied.

"On purpose, or not, you're going to have to be careful now. Until we can figure out who Deathmarch is, you're restricted to the campus, unless you have an escort. Even on campus, I don't want you wandering the ground by yourself. Got me?" Aizawa asked.

"Understood. I'll drag Sho-" Halyn caught off, her smile faltering for a moment before she fixed it back on her face. "I'll make sure others are around at all times."

Aizawa gave a nod of his head, patting her on the head before turning.

"For now, now that we have an idea of, at least, how this quirk works, you should return to the dorms. Until we figure this all out, though, be careful on who you talk to it about. The less people, the better." Nezu told Halyn.

"Yes, sir."

With that, All Might took Halyn back to her dorm. As they walked, Halyn found herself heaving a sigh, making All Might look down at her.

"Something wrong, young Leander?" All Might asked.

"I don't know. This whole thing just leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. You should have heard Deathmarch, All Might. I thought I was done with the whole Flame Lash thing, but it just keeps coming back to bite me."

All Might glanced back down at Halyn, the girl staring down at the ground as her mouth twisted. She was understandably upset about this whole thing. To make matters worse, Deathmarch could, very well, be someone at the school. Halyn's places of safety, were growing thin and the girl was obviously starting to feel the pressure. Her pool of confidants was growing just as thin.

"That's the thing about villains, Leander. They'll twist anything around to fit their means." he told her.

"That's just it, All Might. I don't think that's what he was doing. He honestly seems to believe what he was saying. I got the same feeling from him as I did from Stain. And then there was the familiarity of his scent, which I still haven't been able to place. There were too many conflicting smells mixed in with it. If he's really someone here at the school...who am I suppose to trust?"

"Have you thought about talking to Todoroki about it? You two seem pretty close." All Might suggested.

He was surprised when that only seemed to depress Halyn even more, the girl's shoulders sagging. Even her tail drooped. That took All Might by surprise since Halyn usually perked up at the mention of Todoroki.

"Yeah, at the current moment, I don't think that's going to work." Halyn told him.

"Are you two fighting?" All Might asked.

"Something like that."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Halyn heaved another sigh, her shoulders sagging. As much as she would love some advice on how to handle the whole thing with Todoroki, she really didn't think All Might was the right adult to talk to.

"It's really...complicated. I'm not sure you can really help me with this, All Might." she told him. "Unless you have experience giving love advice to teenage girls."

All Might awkwardly scratched at one cheek, seeing Halyn's point. He really wasn't the best adult for her to talk to.

"I'm probably not the best person to talk to." he agreed.

"I thought not. Shoto's usually great, and, normally, I would have no problem talking to him about what bothers me, but, right now, we aren't speaking."

"Then talk to young Midoriya."

Halyn looked up at All Might. To be honest, she hadn't considered Midoriya. Lately, her only confidant, aside from the girls, had been Todoroki. It was only by realizing that, that she came to realize she had been a little neglectful of her relationships with others.

Perhaps this break from her sorta-not-really-friendship with Todoroki, would be the perfect time to correct that.

Starting with Midoriya.

"I'll give it a try." Halyn told All Might.

They arrived at her dorm then, All Might waiting until she vanished through the doors into the dorm. A few of Halyn's classmates greeted her as she walked in, Halyn waving back, but she rushed past the common room and towards the elevator when she didn't see Midoriya, but saw Todoroki. She could feel Todoroki's eyes follow her to the elevator, but didn't dare look back. She quickly punched the "close doors" button on the elevator, just in case Todoroki decided to try to catch up with her.

Once the doors were closed and Halyn could breath a sigh of relief, she hit the button for Midoriya's floor. The hall was empty when she stepped off the elevator. She headed down the hall to Midoriya's door, and knocked. Midoriya was a little surprised to find her her when he opened his door.

"Ha-chan?" he asked, confused.

"Hey, um...do you have a moment? I could really use a friend's advice."

That was all it took for Midoriya to let her into his room. Halyn perched herself on his desk chair while he sat on his bed, and she explained to him everything that was going on with the whole Deathmarch case, from the villain's fascination with her and her past, to his quirk, right down to the quirk she had assimilated from him. Midoriya quietly listened to her until she was done. Once she was finished, she looked up, finding a thoughtful look on his face.

"Well?" she asked.

Midoriya looked up at Halyn. It was clear, from the expression on her face, that the whole matter was stressful and had her worried.

"You can't pinpoint whose scent it is?" he asked.

"No. It was too muddled. All I know is when I smelled it, I don't know...I felt a sense of familiarity." Halyn replied.

"And he knows all about your past." Midoriya mused.

"He does. Like I told All Might, I really thought I was past all this stuff with Flame Lash, but now, here's Deathmarch. It's obvious that he's been watching me for a while, and given the fact that he speaks German, he's probably followed me to Japan from Italy. Which means, all these deaths are partly my fault. If I wasn't here, he wouldn't be here."

Midoriya rushed to assure Halyn that it wasn't her fault, but the girl's expression said, loud and clear, that she still felt the guilt. Midoriya scanned her face as he thought, his brain snagging on something Halyn had just said.

"Wait...how do you know he's speaking German? Do you speak German?" Midoriya asked.

"Only a little bit here and there. Gabriel is German and he taught me a few words when we were little. That's the only reason I recognized it." Halyn told him.

Gabriel...

Midoriya paused then, his brain beginning to connect a few dots.

Gabriel knew Halyn from childhood. He knew all about the incident with Flame Lash, all about Halyn and her morals. He spoke German, just like Deathmarch, and had come to UA not long after the appearance of Deathmarch.

Could it be?

Midoriya gave his head a shake. While a lot of things were lining up, pointing in Gabriel's direction, there was absolutely no proof, and there was still a chance that it could all just be a coincidence. After all, Halyn was from an European country. There were bound to be hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people in Italy that could speak German. Besides, as far as Midoriya could see, Gabriel was totally in love with Halyn and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize her safety.

Then again...apparently, neither would Deathmarch.

The more he thought about it, the more Midoriya got a sinking feeling in his stomach. When he looked at Halyn, though, and the current state of her relationship with Todoroki, he knew he couldn't just throw out his theories, accusing Gabriel without any proof to back it up. It would only upset Halyn, make her feel even less safe at school than she already felt.

The teachers apparently wanted Halyn to feel safer, hence why All Might thought she should confide in a close friend. Perhaps, instead of telling Halyn his suspicions, Midoriya need to talk it through with someone else who could keep an eye on Halyn without raising the girl's suspicions. That way, if he was right, Gabriel wouldn't know anyone had caught on to him.

For now, Midoriya need to assure Halyn that everything would be alright.

Half an hour later, Midoriya had managed to get a smile out Halyn, making the girl forget, for the moment, the issues that had stolen her smile for the moment. When she left, she did so with a smile and a happy sway to her tail. Once she was gone, Midoriya pulled out his cellphone, making a call to someone he was sure would be able to watch Halyn like a hawk without raising any flags for either Halyn or Gabriel. When the person answer the phone, Midoriya instantly jumped to the issue at hand.

"Hey Todoroki...we need to talk about Ha-chan."

-0-0-0-0-

"Check, check! Check it out! Break it down, break it down!"

The next day found Halyn watching Mina break dance from her desk, a smile on her face as the others cheered for her.

"Her hobby is dancing, is it?" Aoyama asked.

"What's the point of a skirt if you're just gonna wear shorts underneath?!" Mineta demanded.

"To thwart odious perverts like you, Mineta." Halyn answered.

Mineta made a face at Halyn, but the girl merely smiled at him and turned back to the book in her hands. She focused on her book while Mina tried to teach Midoriya and Aoyama a few of her moves. The girls gushed over how cool some of the others' hobbies were.

"Speaking of hobbies, what about yours, Jiro?" Kaminari demanded, turning on Jiro.

"Hey! Knock it off!" Jiro snapped.

"Your room was like a musical instrument store. I'd even say that it's way more than just a hobby for you." Kaminari went on.

"Sheesh! Let's just forget about that whole "King of the Rooms" thing, okay?!" Jiro insisted.

"Nope! Yours is a pro's room, for sure! I mean, seriously!"

Kaminari stopped, coming to a stop and flinching when one of Jiro's earphone jacks came within a few inches of his face.

"I said stop!" Jiro snapped, clearly embarrassed and uncomfortable.

With her point made, Jiro retreated to her seat. Kaminari turned to Halyn and Yoayorozu, looking at them in questioning, unsure of what he had done. Neither were able to answer as the starting bell rang. Everyone took their seats as Aizawa, zipped up in his sleeping bag, started class.

"It's school festival time." Aizawa announced.

Cheers erupted throughout the class. Everyone in the hero course loved it when they got the chance to have a normal high school experience. Well, most of the class, at least. While most of the class was excited about the upcoming event, not all shared the sentiment. Kirishima stood up.

"For real?! We're doing this despite what's going on in the world?!" Kirishima demanded.

"Not to rain on everyone's parade, but Kirishima's got a point." Halyn added. "Right now, there's villains out there rampaging."

"A prudent view point. But remember that UA consists of more than just the Hero Course." Aizawa pointed out. "The Sports Festival is where the Hero Course has its chance to shine. So the School Festival highlights **everyone else**. This doesn't get the same level of attention, but its meant to be a fun event for the rest of the school. Not to mention, the new dorm system that started with the Hero Course is a source of stress for many."

That made sense to them all, Kirishima sinking back down into his seat.

"When you put it like that...yeah, it wouldn't be fair to them." Kirishima remarked.

"Right. Which is why we can't just simply cancel the event. This won't be like in the past in that the festival will be open only to students, staff, and a small group of outsiders. We aren't competing for the spotlight this time around, but each class will still have an exhibition of some kind. Today you'll be deciding what that is." Aizawa told the, settling down to take a nap while they chose what to do for the festival.

With that, Aizawa turned the class over to the class president and vice-president. Iida and Yoayorozu went to the front of the class, Aizawa closing his eyes for a nap.

"I, Iida Tenya, president of Class A, will be leading this discussion! Let's work together to make this process as smooth as possible." Iida announced. "First, suggestions! Those with ideas, please raise your hands!"

Halyn clamped her hands over her ears as there was an explosion of response. Many people had started screaming their ideas, things like a maid cafe to a mochi stand, a wrestling competition, haunted house, a crepe stall, a dance, and many more were yelled out. Mineta even tried to suggest a strip club, which got him tied up and hung from the ceiling by Asui, Halyn jabbing him with a sharpened pencil.

By the end of it, they ended up with twenty different ideas listed on the board, pretty much everyone giving one idea.

"I believe everyone's given a suggestion?" Yaoyorozu asked, before realizing that one person had remained silent. Turning, she sat her eyes on that one person. "Ha-chan, don't you have an idea?"

"We don't have things like this in Italy. I have no idea what to even suggest that hasn't already been suggested. I think I'm just going to watch for now." Halyn assured her.

Yoayorozu left it at that and turned back to the board.

"Let's eliminate the unreasonable, unfeasible, and nonspecific ones." she said, erasing things like Bakugo's death match idea and Aoyama's sparkly show.

Some of the others called for her to erase Iida's idea of a hometown history presentation. Which upset Iida, but majority ruled, and as class president, he wouldn't go against that. They also called for the removal of Yaoyorozu's idea of a study party. Someone even suggested combining all of the food options into one, but even Halyn agreed that crepes and soba didn't really go together.

In the end, it all devolved into a mass argument, and the bell rang, signalling the end of class, before they could decide.

"Hoo boy, what a sloppy meeting." Aizawa remarked. "Better decide by tomorrow morning, though. Because otherwise...we're doing a **regular class** open house."

Halyn didn't know what that was, but it seemed like a big enough threat to her classmates that they held another meeting in the dorm common room that night. Everyone, save the study group, which comprised of those still trying to catch up after their work studies, and Bakugo, who was already in bed, gathered together to discuss what they would be doing.

"Did I miss anything?"

"Ha-chan!"

Halyn was greeted cheerfully by the girls as she walked into the room, fresh out of a bath in a pair of short, red shorts, and a sleeveless white hoodie. Halyn came to a stop behind the couch, looking down at Iida and Yaoyorozu.

"Shouldn't you be with the study group?" Toru asked.

"No. I was able to keep up with my work during my work study. I didn't need the extra lessons." Halyn replied. "Any progress?"

"Now that I've calmed down and thought about it, sensei mentioned how the other classes are stressed out. Whatever we plan ought to help diffuse that stress in some way." Iida replied.

"I agree. If we ever hope to become heroes, we can't very well ignore a problem we had a hand in causing." Yoayorozu agreed.

"You have a point. It only seems right that we do something to, somehow, make up for it." Halyn added, her tail swaying idly as she thought.

"On that note, honestly, since our fellow students are used to Lunch Rush's culinary creations, I doubt we could satisfy their palates." Iida added.

"Oh...so no food stalls?!"

Halyn playfully rolled her eyes as she climbed over the back of the couch to slip in-between Yaoyorozu and Toru, the latter draping herself over Halyn's shoulders.

"While food is good, we can't possibly hope to top Lunch Rush's food. Besides, we should think more along the lines of providing a service of some kind." Halyn remarked.

"Personally, I agree with Leander. I like the idea of providing the others with a service." Iida agreed.

"That makes sense. We can't be the only ones having fun with this." Shoji added.

"In that case, some kind of interactive experience...? Along those lines..." Yaoyorozu mused.

"Out of the ideas we had listed, that leave the maid cafe, petting zoo, or the haunted house, but those just scream too...normal, to me." Halyn remarked. "And I'm the one who's never been to one of these before."

She kind of had a point with that one. If someone like Halyn, who had never been to a school festival before, could find an idea to be too predictable or boring or, in her words, normal, than they needed to think harder. Besides, things like a petting zoo would require a lot of standards. Even the open mic comedy would be out because no one would really enjoy putting amateur performers on the spot. That would only created more stress.

"We could all just dance. That'd be fun." Mina remarked, stomping her feet to some beat in her head.

It was then that Todoroki jumped up from where he was sitting.

"Why not dancing, then?" he asked.

"Talk about unexpected help!" Mina cheered as Todoroki approached Iida, crouching down next to him to borrow his laptop.

"Can I see this?" he asked, Iida nodding. "I'm looking for this one thing...forgot what it's called...people going crazy onstage. Yeah. Here it is."

Todoroki turned the laptop, showing them a video of a band onstage, performing for a crowd.

"I didn't expect this from you, Todoroki!" Iida exclaimed.

"When'd you go and become a party animal?!" Mineta demanded of Todoroki.

"I didn't. I just think Iida is right. We should put together an event that everyone can enjoy." Todoroki replied.

Halyn found herself thinking, "Sweet boy" before she gave her head a shake. She couldn't allow herself to become anymore attached to Todoroki than she already was. She had already dug herself a pretty deep hole over the boy, she didn't need to go and make it deeper. She would never climb her way out if she did.

Thankfully, what Todoroki said next, was just funny enough to snap her out of the aww moment.

"It made me think of our last Hero License Course assignment."

"What dod they have you doing over there...?" Sato asked when Todoroki said that causally.

"Again, we're basically asking amateurs to perform. Won't that be stressful?!" Sero asked.

"I can teach 'em!" Mina offered.

After watching Mina teach Aoyama, the weirdest amateur they had, some dance moves in less than a day, it was a plausible idea.

"Wait, you buncha amateurs! Dance means rhythm! Rhythm means sound! Club goers always want the freshest beats!" Mineta pointed out, actually making a valid point for once.

"And when it come to music..." Toru started, Halyn catching on and turning to their resident music person.

"Kyoka!" Halyn exclaimed, making everyone turn to a blushing Jiro.

"A live performance with your instruments, Jiro!" Toru cheered.

"Hang on a sec." Jiro instantly protested.

"Why not?!" Toru demanded. "You're amazing at teaching people how to play, Jiro. And you've always got a smile on your face when it comes to making music."

"But, like Ashido and the rest of you, all your hobbies are somehow rooted in your hero abilities. But mine's seriously just a hobby. It's not really something I can be proud of." Jiro said awkwardly.

"So that's what that was, earlier?" Kaminari exclaimed, pointing at Jiro. "But it's so frickin' cool how musical you are!"

"Jiro, your talent can make people smile. That's definitely tied to being a hero in my book." Koda added.

Seeing how embarrassed Jiro was, Yaoyorozu stepped between the two boys and Jiro, holding up her hands.

"I understand what the two of you are saying, but we have to let Jiro decide for herself." Yaoyorozu told them.

"You have a point, Momo, you and the boys, but, Kyoka," Jiro turned to look at Halyn who was currently standing on her knees on the couch, leaning against the back of the couch to look at her. "You're awesome and talented. Regardless of whether something is rooted in hero abilities or not, if it makes you happy, makes you and the people around you smile, well...isn't that good enough of a reason right there? Have more confidence in yourself."

Jiro's face went even more red, the girl fussing with her hair as she fought to control the blush. Halyn had a way of knowing what to say to finishing hammering home the nail.

"Turning down all these requests...wouldn't make me much of a rock star!" Jiro said finally, agreeing to help.

There was a loud cheer from the others.

"So Class A's project will be a dance club with live music." Halyn said, the others agreeing.

Halyn and the other girls instantly started chatting about what they would do with decorations, costumes, and everything else. From across the room, Todoroki watched Halyn, replying his conversation with Midoriya the night before, in his head.

If he was being honest, Todoroki had pretty much disliked Gabriel from the moment he met him, so it wasn't that difficult for him to jump on board with the theory Midoriya had supplied him with. He had seen the way Gabriel watched Halyn when he thought no one was looking, how the blond boy tracked Halyn's every step with his eyes if they were within eye sight of each other. It wasn't hard for Todoroki to believe that Gabriel might be Deathmarch.

But if that was true, he was the cause of so much stress in Halyn's life. While Todoroki really doubt that Gabriel would ever cause Halyn physical harm, that didn't mean he couldn't harm her in another way.

Todoroki, regardless of the state of their relationship, wouldn't let others hurt Halyn.

First, they needed proof.

-0-0-0-0-

"Eri!"

A few days later found Halyn visiting the hospital along with Mirio and Midoriya, in order to visit Eri. The little girl had requested to see the three of them, and, just as Halyn had promised, she had packed up all her favorite snacks to take to the girl. Halyn had just been glad that Nezu had agreed to let her leave campus since Aizawa was with them.

Now, standing in Eri's hospital room, Halyn held out her arms, the little girl jumping into them to let her hug her. Given Halyn's ability to nullify another's quirk with touch, none of the doctors or nurses tried to stop her.

Eri was more than happy to accept the hug, Halyn rubbing her cheek against hers. Midoriya and Mirio watched, with smiles on their faces, as Halyn hoist the child into her lap, taking a seat on the bed.

"Sorry we couldn't see you sooner." Midoriya told Eri once Halyn was settled, Eri sitting in her lap.

"We brought you a fruit basket! Want some? What's your favorite?! Wait...lemme guess! Peaches, right?! You look like a peach lover to me!" Mirio added, holding up a basket.

"Lower your voice a little, Mirio-sempai. We are in a hospital." Halyn kindly reminded him, Mirio giving her sheepish smile while Eri took the basket.

"Apples." Eri replied, answering Mirio's question about what fruit was her favorite.

"I knew it!" Mirio cheered.

Halyn playfully shook her head, before turning the bag she had brought with her, sitting it in Eri's lap.

"Here's those snacks and treats I promised you. I hope you enjoy them." Halyn told the girl.

Eri thanked her, Halyn giving her a smile. They sat aside the fruit basket and the bag, Midoriya cutting and peeling a few apples for Eri before he and Mirio pulled up stools to take a seat beside the bed.

"The whole time, even when I had a fever, I was thinking about how you three saved me, but..." Eri looked at Midoriya. "I don't know **your** name. I know Lemillion and Fallout...so who are you?"

Halyn ducked her face behind Eri's head, trying to hide the smile that curled her lips at the sight of Midoriya's shocked expression.

"Midoriya Izuku! Hero name, Deku! Um...Deku is shorter, easier to remember...so just call me Deku!" Midoriya told her.

"Hero name?" Eri asked.

"It's like a code name for heroes. It's not our birth names. Like how my birth name is Leander Halyn, but my hero name is Fallout." Halyn explained to her. "You can call me Fallout or Halyn. Whichever."

"Okay. Lemillion, Fallout and Deku. Also the nice man with the glasses...you all got hurt really bad cuz of me." Eri said. Halyn looked at Mirio and Midoriya over Eri's head. All three of them had been told not to tell Eri that Nighteye had died. The girl would only blame herself and it wasn't what she needed at the moment. "It's all my fault. I'm really sorry for causing you guys so much pain. And...and it's cuz of me you lost your power, Lemillion..."

"Eri! Not a single person here think it's your fault!" Mirio told her, reaching out to lay a hand on her head. "Wanna know what everyone really thinks? We're all happy that you're safe and sound. It doesn't make sense, right? Apologizing to people who don't exist. So cheer up! We all fought to see a smile on your face!"

Mirio, Halyn, and Midoriya watched as Eri tried to smile, even pulling at her cheeks to try to get her lips to curl.

"Sorry...I'm not so good at smiling." she said finally.

"It's alright, Eri." Halyn told her, aware of just how the child felt. Even though Chisaki no longer had her captive, it didn't completely erase the mental and emotional shackles. No, that took time. Until she could smile, and have fun, Chisaki would always hold a piece of her heart captive. "One day, I'm sure you'll grace us with the most adorable smile. For now, just know that we're here for you."

Eri sank back into Halyn's chest, her eyes tear filled. Midoriya watched as Halyn stroked the child's head, trying to comfort her. He, like Halyn, was well aware that the girl really needed something to smile about. It was with that thought that an idea popped into Midoriya's head. Leaving Mirio and Halyn with Eri, Midoriya went to the door to speak to Aizawa.

"Aizawa-sensei. Do you think Eri could leave the hospital for a day?" he asked.

"It should be possible. They're working on finding her a home." Aizawa replied.

"In that case...would Eri be able to attend...?! Can Eri go to the school festival?!" Midoriya asked.

"A festival?" Eri asked.

"Eri! This's a great idea! We got this thing called a school festival! It's a big even we have at school! It's a super-fun time for students, by students. There're exhibits, performances, food...ah! Apples! I bet they'll have candied apples!" Mirio told her.

"Candied?" Eri asked.

"You think you like apples now?! Well, they're even sweeter once they get the candy treatment!" Mirio told her.

Halyn had to laugh when just the mere thought had Eri drooling.

"Let me ask the principal." Aizawa told them.

"If it'll help, sensei," Halyn said, drawing Aizawa's attention to her. "I'll help with keeping an eye on her during my breaks, so it's not just you."

Aizawa gave her a nod, pulling his phone out of his pocket to give Nezu a call. Midoriya turned to Eri, then.

"Well?! What do you say, Eri?" Midoriya asked.

"I...was thinking...about you guys...and how you save me...you three and everyone else...I wanna be your friend." Eri declared firmly.

"We'll be such great friends you'll get sick of us! And I'll keep bugging the principal until he has no choice but to let you come!" Mirio told her.

"I don't think you have to go that far, Mirio-sempai." Halyn told him, but Mirio was too excited to listen.

"I'm taking a leave from school right now so I can go too. It'll be like a date!" Mirio told Eri.

"A date?" Eri asked.

"When a couple goes out and has fun!" Mirio explained as Halyn's jaw dropped.

"A couple? What kind of fun?" Eri asked.

When Mirio opened his mouth to reply, Halyn reached out and caught his nose between two fingers, pulling.

"Senpai! She's too young for that kind of thing!" Halyn told him sternly.

Mirio merely laughed and smiled at her, Halyn shaking her head despite the smile that was on her own face. Now Halyn had even more reason to work harder for the festival, and not just for her class' performance.

First things first...Halyn had to find a dress.

END

Kyandi: One hundred Kyandi Points to whoever can guess why Halyn needs a dress.

Halyn: We'll give another one hundred Kyandi Points to whoever can guess what part I'll be helping with for the dance party.

Kyandi: I don't think they'll get that one.

Halyn: We'll see, right?

Kyandi: I suppose so. With that said, I have work to do today, so everyone, review, leave your guesses and enjoy!

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


	40. Concert Prep

Kyandi: Heya, Kyandiacs!

Halyn: She's really happy right now.

Kyandi: Of course I am! I just got feed back from a professional editor and it was so good, I'm so happy!

Halyn: This editor liked her work and offered the edit the whole book for her.

Kyandi: I'm so happy and giddy, I can't even...I just can't...

Halyn: She can't speak English.

Kyandi: That! That!

Halyn: Since she can't speak proper English right now, I'll get things moving.

Kyandi: Nyaa~!

Halyn: Everyone, please enjoy and review. Kyandi-sama does not own My Hero Academia.

Kyandi: NYAA~!

Chapter 40 Concert Prep

The next day, Halyn found herself yawning as she walked back to the dorms with her other classmates, minus Midoriya, Kirishima, Uraraka, and Asui.

"We got lots of decisions to make!" Mina was cheering from behind her. "What's gonna cheer everyone up the most?!"

Halyn, smile on her face, glanced over her shoulder at Mina. It was nice to see her classmates happy and excited. Even Halyn, herself, was excited. It was then that the voices of a couple of General Courses upperclassmen, caught Halyn's attention, her tail perking up as she tuned into the conversation.

"You hear about this? Class A of the Hero Course is throwing a concert." the guy was telling his female classmate. "For our sake! Talk about conceited. It's just more flaunting and attention grabbing for them."

While it hurt Halyn to know that was what some other students thought about them, she didn't have time to dwell on the thought. Bakugo caught her eye then, the boy obviously having heard what they had said. Halyn came up behind Bakugo, laying a hand on his arm. Bakugo turned a sour, sharp look on her, but Halyn merely gave him a smile, showing, without words, that she knew how he felt. Leaning her head to the side, she silently told him just keep walking. They could handle the image the rest of the school had of them later.

Bakugo clicked his tongue in annoyance, his expression growing stormier, like he was about to start yelling at her, but then he felt her grip on his arm tighten just slightly, her expression turning almost pleading in nature. Bakugo, while crass and rude, above caring about the feelings of others most of the time, knew that Halyn was having a hard time at the moment. Even he had noticed the rift opening up between her and Todoroki and how that rift effected the both of them. While he would never say anything to comfort her, he swallowed the sharp retort on the tip of his tongue and simply turned to follow her back to the dorm.

Halyn was grateful for that, but knew better than to say anything to him in thanks. That was just a sure fire way of making him blow his top at her. The two merely followed their classmates back to the dorm, where Iida started a meeting over what they should do for the concert.

"The school festival is exactly a month away! With so little time, a number of decisions must be made today." Iida announced.

The room instantly exploded with talk about picking songs first. Ones that were easy to dance to, but everyone knew. Halyn wasn't exactly up to date on what kind of songs were popular in Japan, though Jirou had started introducing her to some popular bands. Now, when it came to music that had been popular in dance clubs back in Italy, Halyn knew her stuff.

"Four-on-the-floor beats, then. And some new-rave club rock." Jirou said, speaking up over the others.

"Wouldn't EDM be ideal if we're talking about music you dance to?" Halyn asked.

"Yeah, but...you guys wanna play instruments, right?" Jirou asked. "Anyone ever played bass or drums?"

"Don't look at me. I'm classically trained with a flute, but that's about it." Halyn remarked.

"Right...First, we need drums to give this band some bones. I'm more of a guitarist, though. I'm still working on my drumming skills. If I've gotta teach a complete beginner while still practicing myself, pulling this off in one month is gonna be though." Jirou told them.

"Ah! You mentioned that you took some music lessons at one point, right?" Kaminari asked, turning to none other than Bakugo.

While the others were surprised, Halyn wasn't really all that taken off guard. If he was to play any instruments, Halyn could totally see Bakugo as a drummer. A really loud one, at that.

"Try banging on the drums, Bakugo." Sero said, holding out the drumsticks.

"Make me." Bakugo retorted, turning to walk away.

"I hear it's really tricky." Sero remarked.

Halyn had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from outright laughing when Bakugo, refusing to be looked down on, took up the challenge. His drumming skills surprised everyone. Bakugo realized the trap he had walked into when the others decided he would be playing the drums for their little band.

"No way am I doing that stupid crap." Bakugo told them.

"Bakugo, please! I mean...if you agree to this, it could turn out really great!" Jirou told him.

"Like hell it will! The whole point's to help those other kids chill out, right? But what's stressing them out to start with is how caught up in our own world we are. They ain't gonna accept this coming from a bunch of people they hate!" Bakugo snapped.

"Hey, now! You don't have to be so rude about it!" Toru yelled at him.

"I'm saying it ain't gonna work just singing "Kumbaya"!" Bakugo retorted.

"He's right...perhaps...we didn't think this through." Iida agreed lowly.

"You can't dump on our plan when you weren't even there to begin with." Todoroki told Bakugo.

"So irritating...We're the ones who keep getting punked by villains! So why do we gotta be a bunch of sappy people pleasers?! Stop trying to lick their stupid boots and hit 'em where it counts! Don't make friends! Make 'em hurt instead! Gotta do this right... **take everyone at UA and murder 'em with music!** " Bakugo yelled.

Halyn smiled, her tail curling. Regardless of what he said, he was willing to help them because, just like with Halyn and the others, he didn't like the way the other students talked about them. After all, it wasn't their fault that villains just kept coming after them. Why should they be subjected to others' scorn because of it? Bakugo wanted to correct this just as much as the rest of them did.

"As one of the ones who got kidnapped, Bakugo himself is bearing quite the burden. Leander, too." Iida remarked.

"Yeah...I understand how he feels." Halyn remarked, giving Bakugo a smile when he looked at her.

The smile only made him click his tongue at her in annoyance, but Halyn knew better. Rather or not their outward appearances showed it, Halyn and Bakugo's shared experience had brought them closer as friends. He was well aware that she knew how he felt.

Didn't mean he was going to say anything about it.

"His reasoning's a little off, but I'm glad he's on our side! This is gonna work, Jirou!" Toru cheered, hugging her friend.

"I'll do my best!" Jirou agreed.

"Then we need to decide the rest of the band. As great as he is on the drums, we can't leave it all to Ka-chan." Halyn remarked.

"As part of my upbringing when I was young, I developed an interest in piano...could that be useful?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"Yeah. You could be our keyboard player." Halyn told her.

"Synth sounds are a part of club music that we can't do without. You're a real help, Momo Yao!" Jirou added.

"I'll do my best!" Yaoyorozu replied.

"Huhhhh? Didn't we talk about you being part of the girls' dance squad?! But I forgive you cuz you're so cute!" Mina told the now excited Yaoyorozu.

"I'll play bass, so we just need guitar and vocals. Everyone else can be dancers?" Jirou continued.

"Hm...I fear that that alone may not be enough." Iida remarked.

"How about that crazy video we saw? We could-"

"Gotta have some props!" Mina cheered, cutting off Todoroki.

"Yeah, that." Todoroki finished.

Mina quickly brought up a video of a swinging night club, showing them all the props they had in the club.

"Like this! Sparks and streamers and disco balls...we need this kinda stuff if we wanna create an atmosphere!" Mina told them.

"Let's make it like a Disneyland parade!" Toru gushed.

"And it's another way for others to participate!" Mina cheered.

"Well...we are borrowing the gym, right, Iida?" Halyn asked, turning to look at him.

"Indeed. Aizawa-sensei has already put in the request." Iida confirmed.

"So, like, like...Uraraka could make Todoroki and Kirishima float, right?! And then...Kirishima can chop up Todoroki's ice! And if Aoyama acts as our disco ball, the sparkly ice'll look like stardust as it falls! I call it Team Snowmen! Ha ha ha! Like a shave ice machine!" Mina explained.

"It's not a bad idea. Kind of like hero teams." Halyn remarked.

"Excellent idea! Adding a bit of flair is the perfect way to get the room going!" Iida agreed.

"We'll also need behind the scenes people, to work the whole production." Halyn added.

It was then that Midoriya and the others showed up, ready to help in planning now that they were done with their extra lessons. Halyn quickly caught them up, telling them that they were done to deciding the guitarist and vocals.

"Huh? Won't you be singing, Jirou?" Uraraka asked.

"No, I'm totally not-"

Jirou was cut off as Mineta, Kirishima, and Aoyama all took a crack at singing. Kirishima's voice was for the completely wrong genre, Mineta's was just screaming, and, while pretty, Aoyama's falsetto just wasn't right.

"I think we can do without the three of you singing." Halyn told the three, patting Kirishima on the shoulder.

"I think you should sing, Jirou! When you were teaching us up in your room, your singing was super-duper cool!" Toru insisted, dragging the microphone over to Jirou even as the girl protested. "Awww, just do it."

Heaving a sigh, because she knew she had lost, Jirou did as asking, belting out a few lines of lyrics and completely blowing everyone away. Everyone agreed that Jirou would be their vocalist.

"Uh...I'll only do it...if Ha-chan sings back up!" Jirou replied to the unanimous decision.

All eyes turned to a shock Halyn, who blinked back at them, froze on the spot like a cat caught doing something it shouldn't be. It took a moment for that request to click in her head, when it did, her tail perked up before she started shaking her head.

"Oh, no! No go! I'm not a singer." Halyn protested.

"That's a lie! You sang really prettily when we were in Jirou's room! The two of you sound good together!" Toru insisted. "The mix of her husky, sultry voice and your soft and airy one, is so pretty!"

"That was just in front of you girls. I can't sing on a stage! I don't even sing in front of my brothers." Halyn insisted.

But just like with Jirou, Toru wasn't taking a no. She dragged Halyn up next to Jirou, placing her right next to Jirou and insisted the two of them sing together. Halyn could already feel the embarrassment setting in as her tail curled between her legs and around one thigh. Like Jirou before her, Halyn ended up having to give into the request.

Todoroki, standing off to the side, perked up as Halyn's voice, soft, sweet, and higher than Jirou's own, reached his ears. It was a lulling sound, like that of a sweet voice singing a lullaby, and supported Jirou's voice perfectly. He had never heard Halyn sing before, but it was a sound he could quickly grow use to hearing all the time.

Just like with Jirou, everyone agreed that Halyn should do the back-up vocals, and, not wanting to disappoint her friends or let them down, Halyn agreed.

"Do you think you can handle something like a tambourine, too, Ha-chan?" Jirou asked.

"Yeah, that I can handle." Halyn agreed.

"Great, with that out of the way, we need guitarists! Preferably two!" Jirou said.

"Me, me! Playing instruments is the coolest!" Kaminari volunteered.

"Lemme do it!" Mineta added.

While Kaminari looked natural with the guitar, Mineta was too small to hold it and still reach the strings. Halyn had a moment of feeling both amused and bad for Mineta. It wasn't like he could help his small stature.

It was Tokoyami that picked up the guitar, playing a quick rift to show that he could fill in as the second guitarist.

"You can play?! Why didn'tcha speak up?!" Kaminari asked.

"I set the axe aside after the F-chord defeated me." Tokoyami admitted. "Mineta, if your journey ends here, I'll strum enough for the two of us."

With that, they went about assigning roles. It was one in the morning by the time they had completely assigned roles. First, there was the band comprising of Jirou, Bakugo, Halyn, Yaoyorozu, Kaminari and Tokoyami. Second was the stage crew, consisting of Todoroki, Aoyama, Sero, Kirishima, and Koda. Finally, there was the dance squad, made up of the remaining students.

"There's a lot of work to do, starting tomorrow!" Iida called, finally dismissing them to bed.

Halyn, chatting with the girls, headed off for bed, unaware, or, at least ignoring, the fact that Todoroki stared after her. He watched until she disappeared onto the elevator. He really did miss Halyn. Missed how close they had become, missed talking to her, just hanging out with her.

He missed her smiling at him.

That being said, he just couldn't bring himself to give her what she obviously wanted. While he couldn't admit his feelings for her, for his own reasons, he couldn't just sit by and watch her with another guy. Especially one that could possibly end up being the very villain that was after her now.

Since talking to Midoriya, Todoroki had been keeping a close eye on Halyn, refusing to let her go too far out of his sight when Gabriel was around. He would make sure that Gabriel couldn't hurt Halyn.

In the meantime...he needed to work on his own issues.

-0-0-0-0-

"No way. Not happening."

Halyn could over look a lot of things, really, she could, but this was absolutely outside her range of things she could over look.

It was Saturday, a rare day off for her. Upon a request from Aizawa, Halyn, after promising the others she would be back soon to practice the set list, had joined him and Mirio on a trip to the hospital where Eri was staying. Upon arriving at the hospital, Aizawa had produced a set of clothes he had bought for Eri since all she had was hospital clothes to wear. Looking down at the clothes now, Halyn couldn't help by cover her face in shame at her teacher.

The man had gotten the most hideous clothes she had ever seen.

"Aizawa-sensei, do me a favor. If you ever get married and have a daughter...let your wife do all the shopping." Halyn told her teacher, who only frowned.

"Then you can pick something for her." Aizawa told her.

"Glad to!" Halyn replied, smiling down at Eri as she pulled off the zipped up hoodie she was wearing.

Throwing it over Eri, she zipped it up. It would do until they got her some new clothes. Halyn, after all, was using this chance to go dress shopping. It wouldn't be that difficult to find something for Eri too. Once she was sure the hoodie was sitting just right, Halyn gave Eri a smile.

"Ready to go, Eri?" she asked, holding out her arms.

Eri nodded, stepping into Halyn's arms and letting her lift her up. Eri, her eyes darting from one thing to the next, let Halyn carry her about. Her eyes grew bigger when they arrived at the store. Halyn sat her on her feet, taking her hand before leading her through the store. Aizawa stayed close behind, Mirio attempting to help with the clothes shopping. After seeing the first couple of outfits Mirio picked, Halyn had to politely tell him her thoughts.

"Sorry, but...your girls' fashion sense is just about as non-existent as Aizawa-sensei's, senpai. You might want to leave this to me."

Mirio took it with good grace and sat back with Aizawa while Halyn and Eri went through a few outfits, finally settling on a little dress and a cute bag to go along with it. With that done, Halyn went about finding a dress. With Eri's help, Halyn found the perfect dress, refusing to let Mirio and Aizawa see it. Only when that was done, did they head for the school.

"We're here! Don't worry! Everyone here is really great!" Mirio told Eri, the girl holding on to Halyn's hand tightly.

"Welcome to UA High, Eri." Halyn added. "Deku should be at the dorm since everyone getting ready for the school festival."

Halyn smiled as Eri looked around the school with big eyes. It was so cute, watching the girl. But this Eri was diving for Halyn's legs, hiding herself behind them.

"Eri? I something wrong?" Mirio asked, Aizawa coming to a stop.

"Halyn."

Halyn turned when a familiar voice reached her ears, her tail perking up. Coming their way, a smile on his face, was Gabriel. Halyn turned to greet Gabriel, Eri sinking even further behind her legs.

"Hey, Gabriel!" Halyn greeted before turning to Mirio and Aizawa. "Aizawa-sensei, Mirio, this is an old childhood friend of mine. He's recently transferred into the Support Course. Gabriel, this is my teacher, Aizawa-sensei, and one of my upperclassmen in the Hero Course, Togata Mirio. And this is Eri."

"Pleasure." Gabriel greeted, his grin growing as his eyes landed on Eri. "This must be the little girl I saw on the news. The one that was being held by a yakuza group. I heard she has a really fascinating quirk."

Eri completely hid herself behind Halyn's legs, making the girl turn to look down on her. Mirio and Aizawa, while Halyn's back was turned, shared a look. Neither liked the feeling they were getting from Gabriel as he looked down at Eri. Halyn, though, who was usually the sharpest one around, didn't seem to pick up on anything, making them wonder if they might be imagining it.

"Sorry, she's a little shy. You can understand, right?" Halyn said, turning back to Gabriel.

"Of course. If anyone can understand that, it's the two of us, isn't that so, _kleine tigerin_?" Gabriel asked.

"Exactly. What are you doing out here?" Halyn asked.

"I was heading from the dorm to the lab to work on a few projects for the school festival. Richard is already there." Gabriel told her. "And you?"

"We're heading for my dorm, right now. I have a lot of practice to do for the school festival." Halyn replied.

"Well, then don't let me get in your way. I'll talk to you later, _kleine tigerin_." Gabriel assured her, before looking at Aizawa and Mirio. The look in his eyes, for just a moment, reflected a emotion much darker than should have been present at the moment. "Have a good day."

With that, Gabriel walked away, Halyn waving to him. Aizawa waited until the boy vanished around the corner before he turned to Halyn who was picking Eri up, making sure the child was alright.

"Leander, how do know that kid?" Aizawa asked.

"Gabriel? I grew up with him. I met him shortly after the whole thing with Flame Lash. He was another member of the group therapy my brothers made me take." Halyn answered. Halyn caught the look on Aizawa's face then. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing. Come on, let's go." Aizawa told her, turning to walk away.

Halyn turned her eyes to Mirio, giving him a questioning look. Mirio merely gave her a smile and ushered her on ahead of him. When they reached the dorm, they found the others practicing outside. Halyn stood back with Eri holding her hand, watching as Mirio hid in a bush.

"Seems no one's noticed me yet. Now...what should I do to get the biggest laugh out of my unexpected gag..." Mirio mused.

Midoriya spotted him then, calling out in greeting. Halyn stepped around the bush, Eri at her side, while Mirio dived into the bush, only his butt visible.

"Nice full moon, senpai." Halyn told Mirio as Eri greeted Midoriya.

Aizawa joined them as Asui and Uraraka gushed over Eri.

"So this is where you went, Ha-chan." Midoriya remarked.

"Yeah. Since I offered to help with Eri and I had an errand I needed to run anyway." Halyn replied.

"We got permission from the principal." Aizawa said as Eri ducked behind Halyn and Mirio. "We're doing this in advance so she won't panic at school on the day of the festival."

"Eri...from the work study incident! Hello, I'm Iida! A pleasure to meet you!" Iida greeted Eri, who only further hid behind Halyn and Mirio.

"She's on the shy side." Mirio remarked. "Anyway, I was thinking I'd show Eri around UA today! Leander-" Mirio cut off when Halyn elbowed him in the side, giving him a pointed look. "Right... **Halyn** has already agreed to come with. Wanna join us, Midoriya?!"

Midoriya agreed when the dance squad decided to take a break. Halyn turned and smiled down at Eri.

"See, Eri? Deku and senpai are going to join us for a look around the school. Excited?" Halyn asked. Eri offered her a hesitant nod. Halyn held out her hands to Eri. "Come on."

Eri took Halyn's hands and allowed the older girl to lift her off her feet and swing her around before Halyn placed her on her feet. Todoroki, who had come out to tell the dance squad it was break time, watched as Halyn walked off, hand in hand, with the child.

He wasn't quite sure how he felt about seeing Halyn with a child.

It was definitely something new.

"I'll leave the three of you to watch her. Leander stick close. I have something I have to handle." Aizawa told Halyn, Mirio, and Midoriya.

"Yes, sir." Halyn replied.

With that, the three took off to show Eri the school. Midoriya and Mirio fell in step on either side of Halyn, Eri standing between Halyn and Mirio, gripping Halyn's hand in one hand, and Mirio's pants leg in the other.

"Saturday's usually a day off, but because we're in the dorms, there should be plenty of people around working on projects." Mirio said.

"Hey, it's you, Togata!"

The four looked up as a couple of Business Course third years approached them.

"You've got a kid?! Don't tell me...is that why you're taking time off? Is that first year girl the mom?!" one of them asked.

Mirio and Halyn looked at each other, Halyn fighting back a laugh, while Mirio's own expression left the other third years confused on whether he was being serious or not when he nodded.

"Jokes aside," one of the two said. "Class 1 is doing great stuff this year. You oughta come check it out!"

He gave Halyn, Midoriya, and Mirio one of the flyers he was holding. Halyn thanked him before he leaned in close to her, lowering his voice.

"Now, seriously...are you with Togata? If not, can I interest you in a date?" he asked, giving her a wink.

Halyn gave him a smile, waving off a concerned Midoriya.

"No, I'm not going out with Mirio-senpai, but sorry, I already have someone I like." Halyn told him, easily.

With the ease of practice, Halyn politely slipped past the third year, and she lead Eri away, Mirio and Midoriya following after her. The four strolled across the campus, watching as other students ran about, working on their class's projects.

"There's still a whole month to go, but this place is already bustling!" Midoriya exclaimed.

"Everyone's trying to one-up the attractions from last year with their usual "Plus Ultra" thinking." Mirio replied.

Halyn came to a screeching halt, blinking in surprise, when Midoriya suddenly let out a yell as a dragon head appeared before him. The head moved, revealing that it was just a prop being carried by Tetsutetsu from Class B.

"Sorry, dude...oh, it's Midoriya and Leander! From Class A!" Tetsutetsu said in greeting.

"W-w-what's this?! Dawdling back here? Can you really spare the time?!" Monoma mocked, popping up from behind his classmate. Midoriya and Halyn were too busy checking to make sure that Eri hadn't been taken by surprise, to hear him. "Oh? Ignoring me?! You must be confident! Your class is putting on a live show, I hear! Can you pull that off? Because believe me, Class B is gonna outshine you this time! Romeo and Juliet and the Return of the Prisoner King of Azkaban...it's a totally spectacular original fantasy screenplay from none other than Class B. You might wanna get back to your own practice, because you'll be crying when Class B blows you outta the water! Don't forget your hankie!"

It was then that Awase, one of Monoma's classmates, sneaked up behind him and hit him with a pole he was carrying.

"He was really worked up there, more than normal." Midoriya remarked.

"Sorry, Class A guys. His usual handler isn't around, so he's got no filter." Awase told them.

"She's never far from Monoma, though." Midoriya remarked, looking around for Kendo.

"She's doing her own thing this time! The Beauty Pageant! People pushed her into doing it." Awase replied. "I ain't Monoma, but good luck! Cuz you're gonna need it with what we're doing!"

Awase dragged Monoma away after that, leaving the four behind.

"Sensei never said a word about a beauty pageant." Midoriya remarked.

"Principal Nezu told me about it." Halyn remarked.

"Really?!" Midoriya asked, looking at Halyn in surprise.

Halyn merely shrugged it off, not offering anything more on the subject.

"Sorry for exposing you to the dark side of UA right off the bat, Eri." Mirio told Eri. "Speaking of the beauty pageant! I bet **she's** going all out this year."

"Who?" Midoriya asked.

"I'm talking about last year's runner-up, Nejire Hado." Mirio replied.

Mirio took them to a third year equipment room, then, where they found Hado all dress up in a pageant dress.

"Hey, hey, why's Eri here?! Weird! C'mon, tell me why! How exciting!" Hado instantly prattled off upon seeing them.

"That flashy quirk, those...looks...those p-p-propor...and she was only runner-up?" Midoriya managed to get out.

"No, get this! Listen, listen! I haven't won this thing yet because of this one girl! The pageant queen! Bibimi Kenranzaki of Support Course Class 3-G!" Hado told them.

"Kendo's also competing this year, and she's built up a following of underground fans after making a commercial. And then there's another first year competing this time around with a big fan base here on campus, so Hado's giving this all she's got." Amajiki spoke up.

Midoriya was about to ask who Amajiki was talking about, but was cut off when Hado jumped at Halyn. The older girl draped herself off Halyn's shoulders, a pout settling on her face.

"Hey, hey! Tell me, Halyn, why did you have to compete against me? Huh, come on, come on, tell me!" Hado whined.

Midoriya turned to Halyn with a shocked look on his face.

"You're competing?!" he asked.

"Principal Nezu thought it would be a good way for me to have some fun and get my mind off recent events." Halyn replied. "It sounded like fun to me. I'm not really in it to win, or anything like that, and I'm definitely not in it to try to beat Hado-senpai either."

Hado took that explanation and let it go. Not that Halyn had been too worried that she would get mad and stay mad. She had a feeling that Hado was the type of person that didn't usually dwell on something for a long time.

"I first started competing at Yuyu's suggestion, but...it's great. The thrills of victory and defeat. I'm taking home the prize this year! After all, this is my last chance!" Hado said.

"Well, best of luck, senpai." Halyn told her, Hado smiling brightly at her.

Halyn, Midoriya, Mirio and Eri bid their farewells to Hado and Amajiki, and the four moved on to the Development Studio where all three years of Support Courses were working together to put on a tech exhibition. There, Halyn caught sight of Gabriel and Richard over in one corner and waved. Trying not to make it obvious, Midoriya managed to get Halyn to move on without stopping to talk to the two. Of course, they also ran into Hatsume, who insisted on showing them her new "baby". They had to rush Eri out of the room when the thing started smoking and caught fire.

They made a full round around the school, showing Eri just about everything they could. They finally came to a stop in the lunchroom, stopping to get Eri something to drink.

"That's just about everything. How was it? Feeling comfortable yet?" Midoriya asked Eri.

"I don't know...but...there are so many people, all working really hard, so...I wanna see how it turns out." Eri told them.

Midoriya, Mirio, and Halyn shared a smile, glad to see that Eri, at least, wanted to go to the school festival.

"Now that is what we call excitement! It seems this was worth the effort!" The new voice speaking up, had them turning to look at the opposite end of the table where Principal Nezu sat next to Midnight, chewing away on a piece of cheese. "I'm excited for the festival as well!

"Especially after all that business with the police." Midnight added.

"Enough, Kayama." Nezu told her, hopping down from his chair.

"Now, then! I've got places to be. But I do hope you kids have plenty of fun with this!" Nezu said, as he headed off.

Midnight rose to her feet, picking up the tray before her.

"I can't get into the details, but the principal put himself out there. He ruffled some feathers to make this happen. Security will be even tighter, and if any kind of alarm goes off, even by mistake, the whole thing's off and everyone get evacuated. Those are the conditions." Midnight told them.

"Intense." Midoriya remarked.

"Naturally, we're raising our defenses to ensure it doesn't come to that! We've even taken Hound Dog's leash off!" Midnight added.

"I don't know about anyone else, but that's threat enough for me." Halyn remarked.

"Oh, right! The whole staff room's buzzing because of Class A's attraction. They love seeing the power of youth." Midnight added.

"What is you class doing, Deku, Fallout?" Eri asked.

"It's a mix of a live performance and dance party." Halyn told her.

"And we'll do our best to make it fun for you too, Eri! So I really hope you can come!" Midoriya added.

"It'll be great." Halyn added, giving Eri a big smile.

Midoriya looked at his watch then.

"Sorry, guys, but my break's almost over. Better get back!" he told them.

"Yeah, I kind of have to get going, too. I have to practice with the others at least once today." Halyn agreed.

Mirio agreed to take Eri back to Aizawa so the other two could get back to practice. Halyn crouched before Eri, giving the little girl a hug goodbye. Eri was hesitant at first, but returned the hug, loving, for the moment, the closeness of human contact. Halyn promised to see her again, and waved goodbye as Mirio took her away.

With that, Halyn and Midoriya headed back to the dorm, where they found out that, in order to do a special effect for the performance, Midoriya was being pulled off the dance squad and put on the stage crew. With that decided, there wasn't much free time left to them, leading up to the event. Halyn spent most of her between school and practicing with the band, but what free time she had, went to preparing for the beauty pageant.

Halyn had never realized just how much preparation went into getting ready for a beauty pageant.

If gave her a whole new respect for pageant girls.

Halyn, though, insisted that Midoriya not tell anyone else in their class that she was competing. The last thing she needed was the girls insisting on butting in with their opinions on what her talent should be and on her dress, hair and make-up. She had a feeling that once that conversation started, it wouldn't stop.

Not to mention...she kind of wanted to surprise the others and blow their minds.

If only she knew how badly she was going to blow a certain boy's mind.

END

Halyn: Are you still spazzing?

Kyandi: Just a little.

Halyn: That's going to be how it is for a while, isn't it?

Kyandi: Yes. I'm that happy. You know what would make me impossibly more happy?

Halyn: Let me guess...reviews from your loyal readers?

Kyandi: YES!

Halyn: Then let's get on with this.

Kyandi: Everyone, please enjoy and review.

Halyn: We'll return as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!


End file.
